Meant To Be
by cLerith raven
Summary: She was a princess on the run. He was the Prince whose father hunts her. What would happen if they were to be together? Clerith! Plus Zifa and Relena!
1. The Prologue

cLerith raven:

weLL, it's been a while… I had to revise this PROLOGUE… there were some incompLete thoughts in this so... I changed some parts… hehehe…

[[EDIT]]

I had to re-upload this chapter because I changed Aeris to Aerith. And at the start, her surname was Gast since I didn't know Gast's surname back then, so I changed it to Faremis. :)

* * *

**Meant To Be**

Prologue

The Kingdom of the Anicents: a kingdom of wise sages and skillful mages. A Kingdom of nature's beauty and of peaceful people: the Cetras. For hundreds of years, the Ancients were well-respected for their wisdom and peace-loving nature, and they gained many alliances. No one ever dared to break their alliance with the Ancients; no one but the old King of Midgar.

Midgar was the strongest and most powerful Empire in the Planet. The Empire was ruled by knowledgeable men, and only men. It was an Empire of technology and development. And it was the only empire that didn't want the Ancients as its allies. The King wanted to conquer the Kingdom of the Ancients, and so he waged war on the Cetras.

Their war lasted for centuries; though new rulers had rose to the throne of each of the kingdoms and empires, they still continued the war. The Cetras were evidently losing. They were adroit in Magick, but the army of Midgar was too powerful for them to fight off. Not one Kingdom helped the Cetras for they fear that their kingdom would also fall under the wrath of the Midgar Empire.

Even now, the war still goes on. The Queen of the Cetras, Ifalna, knows that they would lose in the future. She feared for her only daughter, Aerith who was only a year old. And so, she asked one of the servants, a normal human, to bring Aerith out of the Kingdom and into another land for her safety. That night, the servant fled the Kingdom of the Ancients and traveled across lands, searching for the perfect place to stay. They stumbled upon a small settlement not far from the Midgar Empire; it was the City of Kalm.

The servant and Aerith stayed there for months, eventually hearing news about their home once in a while. They heard news that the Kingdom of the Ancients had indeed fallen at the hands of the Midgar Empire who was still ruled by its old Emperor. But the most tragic of events was that the Emperor of Midgar had called for the death of the Cetras for he feared that they would rise again and defeat his Empire. The Cetras received a cruel fate, and now, only one lives. She was the Princess of the Ancients, Aerith Faremis.

No one knew of her name and of her survival, but the Emperor soon found out about the last remaining Cetra and was determined to kill her. But he soon fell ill and died, leaving his son, Rufus to lead the search for the last remaining Cetra. The old Emperor had lived and ruled the Empire for so long that his son now had a family of his own. And unlike his father, Rufus wasn't cruel and unjust. He did search for the last Cetra, but had no intent of killing her.

One night, the Soldiers looking for the last Cetra arrived at Kalm to search there. The servant knew right away that it was only a matter of time before they were found, and so, she ran away with the two-year-old Aerith. The Soldiers, mistaking her for a thief began shooting at her. The servant managed to protect Aerith from getting shot. She got away from Kalm, and continued running without realizing that she had entered the Empire of Midgar.

They had already reached the Slums in Midgar when the servant realized they were in enemy territory, and she thought that it would be the best place to keep Aerith in secret. The enemy wouldn't think that the person they were searching for was in their own land. Unfortunately, the servant found out that she had a shot on her body. She went to the nearest house she could find and asked for help. She met Elmyra Gainsborough and told her of their secret. Elmyra understood and helped them both and welcomed them to her home. But the servant didn't survive the night, leaving Aerith to the care of Elmyra. Elmyra decided to change Aerith's last name from Faremis to Gainsborough, her own name. This would help her hide Aerith's true identity.

Aerith Gainsborough, the Princess and the last of the Cetras.


	2. Chapter 1: Palace and Flowers

cLerith raven:

grr… I had to rewrite the whole chapter again! my Laptop's been hating me LateLy.. haha.. so sorry it took me a LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time to update… been busy with schooL LateLy…

so… hope you Like this chapter..

[[EDIT]]

i forgot that i'm using Aerith rather than Aerith in this Chapter so i had to fix that and upload this new text document with the revision.. hehe..

anyways, thanx for Princess of the Knight for reminding me that one.. hehe..

so.. enjoi.. i hope.. ^^,

[[EDIT]]

I decided on using Aerith for the rest of the story, so I uploaded it again. So sorry. :)

* * *

**Meant To Be**

Chapter 1: Palace and Flowers

Kingdom of the Ancients… Cetras… Midgar… Elmyra… Aerith…

It has been almost eighteen years ever since Elmyra had found Aerith. She has raised the Cetra Princess to be a fine, young woman. She managed to keep Aerith's true identity a secret from everyone else, but she never hid anything from Aerith. She told her of the fate of the rest of her kind, and protected her from getting caught.

Aerith grew up knowing her true identity and her past. She was thankful that she survived, but was devastated to know that she was the only one left. But she never felt any hatred or anger towards the Royal Family of Midgar.

Aerith lived a simple life while learning how to harness her powers in secret. She promised herself to use her powers as a Cetra to help others, the sole principle of the Cetras. And so, she used her powers to grow something extraordinary in the Kingdom of Midgar… Flowers…

Aerith woke up early in the morning. She opened her eyes and stared out of the window. She thought she saw a vast meadow, filled with flowers and animals, but when she blinked, it was all gone.

"That vision again…" she whispered.

"Aerith! Are you awake?" Elmyra called out from the kitchen.

"Yes, Mom!" she replied.

"Well, hurry up and eat breakfast! You still have to meet up with Yuffie remember?"

_Oh! I almost forgot about that!_ Aerith thought as she jumped out of the bed and rushed to the kitchen.

"Good morning, dear," Elmyra greeted her.

"Good morning," Aerith greeted back as she sat down and started eating. She was so much in a hurry to finish eating that she choked.

"Eat slowly!" Elmyra reminded her.

Aerith chuckled. "Sorry, I really have to leave early. I still have to get flowers from the church…"

"Alright." Elmyra shrugged.

Aerith finished up her food then went straight to take a bath. She finished quickly then went to wear her usual dress, a bluish-white dress with flowers, and tied her hair in a braid with a pink ribbon. She wore her pink slippers then took her basket and ran to say farewell to her mother.

"See ya, Mom!" Aerith said as she went out of the house.

"Aerith, take care!" Elmyra shouted as she heard the door close.

_That girl really is someone special…_ Elmyra thought as she shook her head.

Aerith looked around the place. It was a bit gloomy as usual. The people were sad and depressed because of the ongoing war of Midgar with the Nibelheim Empire. Many of the men were recruited into the army of Midgar, the SOLDIERS, to fight off the Nibelheim army. The women were left to weep and live on without knowing if the men in their lives will ever come back. Aerith was one of the many women who wept, for her adopted brother, Genesis was taken away to train for the army.

Aerith went to the abandoned Church in the Slums sector of Midgar. She always came here every morning to look at the flowers she was growing. The Church was the only place where fertile soil was abundant. She halted when she saw the old wooden roof of the Church. Carefully, she opened the door, hearing a squeak from the old hinges.

The morning dews on the flower petals glistened in the sunlight. Aerith gazed at the flowers lovingly. She knelt down beside them and picked one from the patch.

"My, the flowers are really blooming well," Aerith said as she caressed the delicate flower. She picked up more flowers and put them on her basket. When she finished, she stood up and walked towards the exit. She took another look at the flower patch before turning to leave and closing the door.

Aerith then walked on to meet up with Yuffie. She came to a stop when she reached the Central Square. She sat near the fountain as she waited for Yuffie.

Cloud hurriedly ran to the Throne Room. He was late yet again for a 'special meeting'. His father had bugged him ever since the night before to dress formally for a so-called special occasion.

He abruptly stopped in front of a large doorway which caused him to stumble a little. He composed himself before opening the door.

He was hoping for a nice greeting, or at least, something a bit nice. But…

Cloud was welcomed with a hard hit on the head.

"Ow!" Cloud hissed. "What was that for?" Cloud looked at whoever hit him on the head and saw his older brother Zack.

"You were late! What did you expect, us welcoming you with smiles?" Zack shot back.

"Well…" Cloud walked backward, "You didn't have to hit me, you know."

"Enough, you two," King Rufus commanded.

"Yes, Father," the two chorused.

"Now, Cloud, why were you late?" the King asked.

"I forgot…"

"As usual…" Zack whispered. Cloud glared at his brother.

Rufus sighed. "Cloud, when will you ever change?"

Cloud remained silent.

"Moving on…" Zack said.

"Cloud, Zack…" Rufus started, "I called you both here today to discuss with you the matters about the war between Midgar and Nibelheim."

"What about it?" Zack asked, putting his hands on his waist.

"We decided that…" Rufus sighed. "The war should be ended."

"That's good news, then." Cloud said, placing his arms behind his head.

"I'm afraid, it is not that simple," Rufus sadly said.

"What do you mean?" the Princes asked.

"The war will only end with the unity of both kingdoms."

"Unity of both Kingdoms? How?" Cloud asked, scratching his head.

Zack gave Cloud a nice slap in the head. "It's by marriage of Royalties from the both Kingdoms, you idiot!"

"You did it again!" Cloud blurted out, retaliating with a playful punch on his brother's arm. "And by marriage, you mean… that?"

Rufus nodded.

"Well, who's getting married to whom?" Zack asked.

Rufus put his hands together and rested his chin on them. "It's not yet determined. We'll know when they come here."

"The Royal Family of Nibelheim is coming here?" Cloud asked.

"Yes, in three days time."

"King Barret and the snotty Princess eh?" Zack whispered.

"Zack?" Cloud hissed. "Father will hear you."

"I already did, Cloud."

"Sorry…" the Princes chorused.

"Well, that is all," Rufus said. "You may go now…"

Zack and Cloud bowed down before leaving the Throne Room. Rufus breathed in deeply and let out a long sigh.

"My dear brother, you seem troubled?" a figure from the shadows said.

"Sephiroth?" Rufus asked as he looked behind him. He was surprised to see his older brother back. "When did you get back?"

"A while ago," Sephiroth replied. "I have news from Kalm."

Rufus stood up and looked at Sephiroth. "What news?"

"It's about the Cetra Princess." Sephiroth said as he stepped out of the shadows.

Aerith looked at the sky as she sat on the bench at the Central Square, waiting for her friend, Yuffie. She was startled when a hand touched her on the shoulder. She stood up abruptly and saw a petite girl standing right behind her.

"Yuffie!" Aerith exclaimed.

"You don't need to shout, you know," Yuffie said while rubbing her ears.

"You startled me!" Aerith exclaimed. "I've been waiting for ages, you know."

"Yeah right," Yuffie said, rolling her eyes. "Well, what're you just standing around there for? Come on!" she exclaimed as she pulled Aerith towards the direction of the inn.

Yuffie kept on running with Aerith following behind, careful that the flowers in her basket don't fall off. They ran down some steps and came to a stop in front of an eccentric building.

Yuffie walked towards a young woman in a purple floral dress greeting customers outside the inn. Aerith looked up at the sign and read, "The 7th… Heaven?" then she looked at Yuffie.

"Yep," the petite girl said as she patted the woman on the shoulder. "And this is my boss, Lucrecia," Yuffie introduced the woman.

Lucrecia looked over at Aerith and smiled. Aerith smiled back.

'_She seems nice…_' she thought as she went near the other two. She looked at Lucrecia then at Yuffie.

"Hi, you're Aerith, aren't you?" Lucrecia asked as she held Aerith's hands.

"Yes, Ma'm."

"Yuffie told me you wanted to work here?"

Aerith nodded.

"What would you want to be here?" Lucrecia asked.

"I'm good with anything," Aerith replied kindly.

"Well, Yuffie does need extra help with the inn's bar, with the customers and all." Lucrecia said. She looked at Aerith with another smile and noticed that Aerith had flowers with her. "Oh? Flowers? Those are rare here."

"Oh, these," Aerith said as she showed Lucrecia the flowers. "I grew some myself."

"Really? Interesting…" Lucrecia stated.

"She can sell her flowers here as well, right?" Yuffie asked.

"Well, flowers would brighten up the place," Lucrecia agreed, earning a wide smile from Aerith.

"Can you start today?"

"Of course!" Aerith exclaimed happily.

"Well then, Yuffie, you'll have to tell Aerith how things run here, alright?" Lucrecia said as she walked away, tying her hair up with a blue ribbon.

Aerith and Yuffie waited for Lucrecia to enter the inn before they jumped up and down, giggling.

"Let's get to work!" Yuffie said as she followed Lucrecia inside.

"Uh-huh!"

Cloud lay on his bed, thinking about his father's words. He thought about who will marry the princess from Nielheim. He heard that she was snobbish, but also a bit brutal. But he does hear that she has a soft side to her, and Cloud hoped that was true. If ever he or his brother would marry her, he wanted to make sure that they won't get annoyed with her.

"Hey, Cloud!" Zack called from outside.

"Yeah?"

"We're going out, wanna come?"

"Nah!"

"Suit yourself!"

Cloud heard his brother walk away. '_He'll never be able to break inside any place with those feet…_'

Cloud chuckled then got up from bed. He walked towards the window and looked at the kingdom outside the Palace walls. The kingdom looked dull, all because of the war.

"Unity of the kingdoms will end the war eh?" Cloud spoke to himself. Cloud sighed and decided to walk around the kingdom. He went out of his room and headed to the Palace Gates.

"Good morning, Sire," the Palace Guards greeted him as he approached them.

"Open the gates," he commanded. The guards did as they were told and Cloud proceeded outside the Palace Walls.

Cloud was greeted with polite smiles by the residents of Midgar, and he smiled to them as well. Some bowed down and some offered gifts. Cloud declined the offers and just bowed graciously. Saying farewell, he headed to the Central Square. Every person who saw Cloud bowed down and smiled at him, and he returned the action.

"Sheesh, all this bowing and walking made me tired…" Cloud said, sitting at a bench.

"Sire, you could visit the inn east of here," a girl suggested. "There's a bar inside, just like the taverns. You could rest there, Sire."

"Huh?" Cloud looked behind him and saw a young girl, about 8 years old, standing behind him, holding a moogle doll. She was wearing a simple white dress and a ribbon held her hair up.

"Hi, I'm Marlene," the girl introduced herself. "You looked tired so I just told you about the inn."

"Oh, hi…" Cloud said. "And thanks."

Marlene smiled then walked away. Cloud chuckled then went towards the direction Marlene had said. He did see the sign.

"The 7th Heaven Inn…" Cloud read. He looked at the place then entered the inn.

He was surprised when a petite lady jumped out in front of him.

"Good morning!" the girl greeted him. "Welcome to the 7th He…..?" The girl's voice faded, realizing that she was face to face with the Prince.

"Good morning," Cloud greeted.

"Oh, Sire!" the girl said, bowing her head.

Cloud bowed as well. No one spoke after that. He looked at the girl's name tag.

"Yuffie, is it?"

Yuffie nodded.

"Well, could you please show me the inn's bar? I'd like to get a drink."

Yuffie pointed towards the right side of the inn, "It's there, Sir."

Cloud looked at where Yuffie was pointing. There were many customers there, both young and old, men and women.

"Thanks."

"My pleasure, Sire," Yuffie said as she walked away and continued with her work.

Cloud scanned the bar for a free seat, but what he saw stunned him. Standing behind the bar, serving the customers, was a beautiful brunette in a bluish-white dress with a warm smile on her face.

_An Angel?_

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cLerith raven:

well, i'LL be cutting it here.. nyahehehe..

sorry if it seems short or hanging.. I just gotta reserve what would happen next for Chapter 2! ^^,

hopefully, chapter 2 wiLL be up soon as weLL! i hope.. hehe.. ^_^

Lavyah Lots!

[[EDIT]]

i forgot the last scene where Cloud sees Aerith so i had to re-upLoad this chapter.. ehehe.. sorry about that.. my PC's been hating me… ehehe..

^^,

thanx again and i hope you'LL Like the next chapter.. ehehe… (^_^)


	3. Chapter 2: Destined Meeting

cLerith raven:

okay.. so I started early with this chapter… i did this chapter right after I finished the Last one.. hehe.. ^_^

hope you Like this…

oh! and by the way, Chapter 1: Palace and Flowers was incompLete.. i forgot to save the changes i added before I put it up on FF.. so sorry about that… there was a missing scene that was significant to the opening scene here in Chapter two.. so I hope you could re-read that chapter… thanx! ^^,

anyways, enjoy! i hope.. 0_0

[[EDIT]]

As you know, I've changed Aeris to Aerith, hence the re-upload. :)

* * *

**Meant To Be**

Chapter 2: Destined Meeting

Aeris stood behind the bar, greeting customers with a warm smile and inviting them for tasty snacks. The customers returned her smile with compliments and thanks.

Lucrecia watched how Aeris treated the guests and was happy with how things are working out. She noticed that more and more customers came once they heard about Aeris working in the inn.

"Aeris, does this mean we won't see you outside anymore?" a young woman asked.

"Oh no…" Aeris replied. "I'll still be selling flowers around town whenever I get the chance."

"That's good to hear, dear," said an old woman.

"Um, excuse me, is this seat taken?" a young man said from behind.

Everyone looked at him and seeing that it was Prince Cloud bowed down.

"Oh, please no bowing," protested Cloud as he helped the old woman up. "I am here as a normal person, not as your Prince."

Aeris smiled. _Hm… he seems kind enough._

Cloud looked at Aeris and smiled.

"Oh, Prince Cloud, what can I get you?" the brunette asked.

"I was just resting here, but I guess I could eat some snacks while I rest," Cloud replied. "Give me what you think is the best here," he requested to Aeris.

Aeris nodded and prepared Cloud's snack and drink.

Cloud stared at Aeris with fascination. "Say, what's your name? This is the first time I've seen you around here."

Aeris looked at Cloud and smiled. "My name is Aeris, Sire."

"You don't have to be formal with me, Aeris." Cloud objected. "So, this is your first time here in the central square?"

"Oh, no… Well, I seldom come around here," Aeris replied. "I always go around town, usually in the outskirts and alleys, to sell flowers."

"So, you're a flower girl," Cloud said as he tilted his head to the right. Aeris nodded. "Do you grow the flower you sell yourself? And where do you grow them? There's not much fertile soil here."

"My, Sir, you ask a lot," Aeris said playfully. Cloud chuckled a bit. "Well, yes, I grow the flowers myself, in the abandoned Church in the Slums which has rich, fertile soil." She smiled. "Do you have any more questions, Sir?"

Cloud laughed, and so did Aeris.

"You're easy to talk with, Aeris."

"Well, I do try to make people feel comfy around me," Aeris whispered.

"What was that again?" Cloud asked.

"Nothing," Aeris replied. She finished preparing Cloud's order and gave it to him with a smile.

"Thanks."

Cloud and Aeris continued to talk about everything under the sun. Though Aeris was busy with work, she still had time to talk with Cloud. They were talking and laughing so much that time passed by so quickly between the two without them noticing.

Lucrecia watched the two from afar. She noticed Yuffie was watching them as well. She grabbed the girl's arm as the girl passed by her.

"Yuffie, have they known each other long?" Lucrecia asked.

"Nope," Yuffie replied, "I don't remember Aeris telling me anything about her knowing the Prince." She finished. "Why?"

"They seem pretty close, don't you think?"

"Well, that's Aeris. She's just as friendly as you see her." Yuffie said. "Maybe the Prince just feels comfy with her."

Lucrecia nodded. "Thanks, you may go back to what you were doing."

Lucrecia looked at the two again. Cloud just watched Aeris as she served the customers in the bar. And without knowing it, she was smiling.

Lucrecia walked towards the two. "Aeris, your shift's almost done now. Leave the rest to Yuffie."

"Oh?" Aeris looked surprised, then she looked out the window. "It's almost night time already… I hadn't noticed," she said with a smile.

"Well, you were enjoying yourself," Lucrecia said, as she looked at Cloud.

"Eh?" Cloud looked at Lucrecia, and a look of shock was evident in his face. "Aunt Lucrecia? What are you doing here?"

Yuffie and Aeris looked at Lucrecia with shock on their faces. "Aunt?" they exclaimed.

Lucrecia chuckled. "That's right, Cloud's actually my nephew," she said.

"My mother was her sister," Cloud added.

"Oh..." the girls chorused.

"I own this inn, Cloud." Lucrecia said to her nephew.

"And you didn't even mention it once for the last eighteen years?" Cloud asked.

Lucrecia nodded. "Well, Aeris, your shift's up. You could go home now." Lucrecia said, changing the topic.

"Well, see you tomorrow Yuffie," Aeris said as she smiled at her friend.

"Oh and Cloud, be a dear and accompany Aeris to her home. It's getting dark and the streets are dangerous at these times," Lucrecia said with a wink.

"Wha-?" Cloud asked, leaving his mouth open.

Lucrecia closed his mouth and pulled him up. "You're a gentleman, right? Then just do it," she insisted. She held Aeris's hand and pulled the two towards the door.

"Go on now."

Aeris just smiled and walked out of the inn. Cloud just scratched the back of his head and smiled.

Lucrecia motioned for them to go and said, "I'll see you tomorrow Aeris, same time okay?"

"Yes, Ma'm," Aerith said as she bowed. Cloud did the same as well. "Well, let's go!" the flower girls said as she took Cloud's hand and ran.

Lucrecia just watched them until they were out of sight.

"Are you setting them up?" Yuffie asked from behind Lucrecia.

"Aeris may help Cloud lighten up on life," Lucrecia said as she walked back in the inn. Yuffie just shrugged her shoulders.

Meanwhile…

Aeris and Cloud were chatting as they walked towards Aeris's neighborhood.

"So, where did you live again?" Cloud asked.

"My house is still on the 9th block," Aerith replied.

"Oh…" Cloud said. "It's pretty far from the 7th Heaven. The distance is a bit like how far new trainees for SOLDIER run during training."

"Really? Then, I could make it into SOLDIER then?" Aeris said playfully.

"You?" Cloud said, eyeing Aeris. He looked at her from head to toe with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Hey!" Aeris said, slapping Cloud in the arm, "I make look frail, but I'm not weak!"

Cloud laughed. "Yeah, sure you are," he teased.

Aeris raised her eyebrow. "Is that a challenge, Prince Cloud?"

"What if it is?"

"Well, then I have no choice but to accept," Aeris declared.

"Alright. We'll have that when you're free from work," Cloud said.

"That's two days from now," Aeris said.

"That's enough time for you to prepare, I hope?"

Aeris chuckled. "It's more than enough, you know," she said. "Afraid I'll trounce you so you want to train?" she added playfully.

"Hah! You wish," Cloud shot back.

Aeris giggled. "Whoo, that's the first time I've talked like that."

"Hm?"

"I've never talked tough like that before."

"Really? You handled yourself well."

"I did?" Aeris laughed.

Cloud smiled. Aeris continued to talk while Cloud fell silent. He couldn't help but look at Aeris's emerald green eyes and the way she smiles at him. There was just something about this girl that fascinates him, and he won't deny that.

Aeris giggled then looked at Cloud. He was looking at her, and seemed like he was spacing out. "Hey, Cloud?" She waved a hand in front of the blonde Prince.

No reaction.

"Cloud!" She snapped a finger in front of him.

"Huh?"

"You spaced out."

"Oh… sorry," Cloud blushed. He hadn't noticed that he had already spaced out. _I hope she didn't notice that._

"What were you staring at anyways?" Aeris asked.

_Is she for real? _Cloud chuckled.

"Eh?" Cloud exclaimed. _She's so innocent._

Aeris stopped walking and stood in front of Cloud. "Did I have dirt on my face?" she asked as she pointed at her face, tilting her head to the side.

"Yuhp, right…" Cloud said, pretending to point at the brunette's face, "there!" Cloud flicked Aeris's nose.

"Hey!" Aeris said, slapping Cloud's hand. "You're a meanie."

"Innocent like a kid," he whispered.

"Eh?"

Cloud shook his head. "Keep walking, we'll never reach your house if we stop here."

Aeris smiled then continued walking. They arrived home after a short while. Aeris ran to the door then faced Cloud.

"Well, this is my stop," Aeris said. "You'd better hurry on back to the Palace; your family must be worried."

"You just want me to leave," Cloud said, pretending to have a tantrum.

"Silly," Aeris said as she giggled. She opened the door and stepped in. "Well, see you around, Sire."

"You can call me Cloud, you know."

"It won't seem right."

"Then, call me Prince Cloud, just as long as you say my name."

"Alright," Aeris said with a nod. "Well, then…" Aeris completely entered their home. "Good night, Prince Cloud," she said as she closed the door.

Cloud smiled then turned to leave. _This day is definitely different than the other days._

Back in the Palace, the King and his oldest son were bothered by Cloud's absence. Zack paced the room wildly, looking back and forth from the door to his father.

A tall man wearing a black sleeveless robe and a red cape watched the young Prince with a small frown. He shook his head then spoke: "Prince Zack, you're going to make everyone in the room dizzy of you don't stop."

"Err…" Zack stopped. "Sorry 'bout that, Vincent."

The man called Vincent nodded. Vincent was the Royal Adviser to the Throne. His family always were; each generation serving different Kings.

"Where the hell is Cloud? It's already dark outside!" Zack exclaimed.

"Calm down," Rufus said. "Cloud can manage to protect himself."

"No, he can't!" Zack protested.

Vincent and Rufus had confused looks on their faces.

"What do you mean by that?" Rufus asked.

Zack excused himself and went out of the room, asking his father and Vincent to wait. When he got back, he was carrying a familiar sword.

Rufus and Vincent gasped. It was the Buster Broadsword that Cloud owned!

"He went off without his sword?" Vincent asked worriedly.

"Now, do you understand why I'm worried crazy?"

"Vincent! Call Barret and have him form a search party to scour the whole kingdom for Cloud!" Rufus ordered.

"Yes, Sire," Vincent said as he bowed down and left the room in a hurry.

"I'll look for him as well," Zack said as he took his Buster Sword along with his brother's Buster Broadsword and left the Throne Room.

_Cloud, where have you gone?_ Zack thought.

Aeris couldn't explain it but she felt quite uneasy that night. She was restless that she didn't get enough sleep. Nevertheless, she got up early again the next day. This day started the same as always. She did her usual routine in the morning-go to the Church in the slums and gets some flowers.

Aeris weakly walked towards her destination. She had this crazy feeling that something was wrong. She sighed then shrugged her shoulders.

_There's no use thinking about that now. I don't even know why I'm feeling this way anyways_,Aeris thought. She shrugged her shoulders then thought about her flowers.

Aeris wanted to talk to the flowers and share with them what had happened yesterday as if they were human friends. She always did so when something interesting happens in her life.

Aeris opened the door and skipped towards the flower patch. But she came to a complete halt when she saw a familiar man with spiky blonde hair lying unconscious in the same patch her flowers were.

Aeris's eyes widened with shock as she dropped her basket on the ground. She rushed towards the blonde frantically.

"CLOUD!"

* * *

cLerith raven:

ooookay.. that's it for Chapter 2!

ehehe…

weLL, you may have a question about this, but it will be explained in the next chapter..

and, you'LL be seeing a familiar scene there, i think? Ahaha.. i just kinda modified it..

sooo..

that's it… ^^,

LAVYAH LOTZ!


	4. Chapter 3: Their Lives

cLerith raven:

gosh! It's been ages since I've updated my story... sorry for those who've waited for a very, very Long time.. I've been busy with school work LateLy...

anyways.. this is the third chapter.. hehe.. hope this wouLd be able to Live up to your expectations.. ^^

[[EDIT]]

So, it's been two years since I actually started Meant To Be, so I'm writing this chapter as it left off. I'm not so sure how the story will go from here, but I'd definitely let my imagination flow freely.

This particular chapter is dedicated to xXClerithFan1Xx. She's such a sweetie, encouraging me to continue on with this story. Thanks hunn! It's readers like you that make writers feel happy with their creations.

[[EDIT]]

I'm also dedicating this chapter to Animefan111. Such a sweetheart. :) I do hope you like this one.

And I'll start using Aerith instead of Aeris from here on. Hope you understand. She's still the flower girl we love.

* * *

**Meant To Be**

Chapter 3: Their Lives

_The scent of… Flowers…_

The wind blew softly on the curtains as Prince Cloud slowly gained his consciousness. He opened his eyes, blinked once, twice, then abruptly sat up. His senses were on high alert as memories of last night flooded his mind. He expected to smell the scent of beer, trash and sin, but instead smelled the scent of flowers, toast, bacon and eggs. Surprised, he looked around. He was neither in the alley, nor in the bridge from where he remembered he stood last. This was a room, a female's by the touch and feel of it. Someone had obviously seen him and taken him home.

Cloud got up from the bed and slowly walked towards the vanity mirror just beside it. That's when he noticed that he wasn't wearing his palace garb. He was now in a plain blue shirt and denim shorts. Wanting to check on his injury, he took off his shirt for an inspection. He half expected the wound to run deep and long across his abdomen and worse, stitches, but what he saw was a shallow cut, not even 4 inches long.

The warm breeze touched his cheeks, as if a caress. His head turned toward the window, where pots of flowers lined the sill. He looked around the room. The room was simple-the wall was of a faded pink color, dried flowers kept in frames decorated the wall. The bed was near the window, away from the door, with the vanity table inches beside it. There was a dresser and a closet on the far side of the room, just beside the vanity table. A shelf stood not far from the door of the room. Cloud stepped closer to the shelf, wondering if he could get an idea of what kind of a person his savior was. The books looked old and worn out-possibly because of being read over and over again. He took out one book about gardening. Many pages were either dog-eared or folded as bookmarks. He could see that time had made its mark on the book, but he felt as if the book was truly cared for.

As Cloud looked through the pages, he saw a glint of light from a picture frame out of the corner of his eye. It was on top of the dresser. It was a picture of a man, about his age, maybe older. He was sitting under a tree, holding a book against his chest and a wide smile on his face. It must be a lover.

The prince was so focused on the picture that he didn't hear the knock on the door. The knob turned, and the door swung open, too hard that it hit the wall with a loud 'bang'. Startled, the Prince immediately went to his fighting stance, ready to defend himself if the need arises.

"You're scaring me," a girl's voice said. It was Marlene who peered inside the room, hiding half of herself from Cloud's view. An older woman peered inside next to Marlene.

"Sorry."

"My, so you've come to," the elder woman said. She must be the mother of Marlene, seeing as how the child clings on to her dress. "I am Elmyra Gainsborough. My daughter brought you here this morning. You were so beaten up. How are you feeling now?"

"Daughter?" Cloud seemed dazed. He couldn't remember any woman from last night's fight, so how could a woman have brought him here?

"Aerith. The flower girl," Marlene said. "She saw you in the church. She called for help. You were _very_ heavy."

Cloud was confused-the girl seemed to have a first-hand basis on her statement. She must've tried to help Aerith carry him. _Some Prince I am_. The thought that Aerith had carried him was embarrassing, absurd even. "I'm sorry if I troubled you."

"Oh no, Sire," Elmyra quickly said. "It was anything but trouble. We are just sorry we cannot offer you anything more than a bed and breakfast."

Cloud looked down on the floor. He was tempted to ask about how he at their home. "The clothes, and the wound…"

"Aerith changed your garments herself. She cleaned the wound too," Marlene said. Cloud blushed at the thought that Aerith undressed him then clothed him. He looked at Marlene. The kid didn't look like she was teasing him, but color rose to his neck nonetheless.

"Where is she?" Cloud had to thank her. But thinking about it, he wasn't really sure how he could face her knowing she changed his garments herself.

"She's cooking," the little girl said. "Let's eat. I'm hungry." With that, she turned around and started descending the stairs.

Cloud hesitated, still unsure of how he could face the flower girl. She was his savior, when it should've been the opposite. He felt admiration for the flower girl. She helped him, saved his life, when she could've overlooked the matter. _How is it that she found me anyway?_

Elmyra looked at the Prince, waiting for him to move. If she wasn't actually speaking to him, she would say he was frozen stiff. He was still, very still. _Maybe, he's hurting somewhere?_ Elmyra contemplated whether she'd ask him or not. She let out a sigh. "Does anything hurt, Sire?"

Cloud's attention went back to the older woman. "No, I'm sorry if I continually worry you. I was just…" he thought of a word that would fit, "thinking."

"Breakfast will be ready soon, Sire," Elmyra informed him. "If you wish to join us, we'll be dining downstairs. If moving is not comfortable for you, then Aerith may bring up a tray for you." Elmyra bowed down then left the room.

Cloud pondered on the thought of Aerith bringing him a tray of food. It didn't feel right. The young woman had already done so much, and making her bring food to him was too much. He looked at the mirror once again, checking to see if he looked… presentable. Sure enough, he was satisfied with what he saw. His spiky hair was a bit disheveled; the corner of his lips was bruised from the punches; there was a cut on his left eyebrow; other than those, he looked fine.

Cloud raised his hands to his waist. Where there was so much pain last night, none of it was left. Aerith took it, all of it, away from him. He should repay her somehow. He should, and he would. That was the least he could do.

As Cloud stepped out of the room he remembered the picture. Aerith had a lover. Of course she would have. She was beautiful. The knowledge brought uneasiness in him. He didn't want to find out why. He sighed then closed the door behind him.

Aerith hummed her favorite song as she prepared the dining table. It was the song of the Cetras, a song of love, healing and hope. Her mother had always sung it to her before she slept-a lullaby. She could still remember how her mother stroked her hair lovingly, humming the same song to her each night. And there was always the scent of irises around her mother. The Queen had loved those flowers, the same love Aerith has for her flowers now.

"He'll be down in a moment, dear." Elmyra came into the kitchen with Marlene. The little girl smiled at her.

Marlene had always been in their care. Her father was Dyne, one of the Great Three, the Generals of the King's Army of SOLDIER. Sadly, Dyne had died when Marlene was only 6 years old. Her mother fell ill because of the depression. And after a year of hanging on to life, the poor woman followed after her husband. The child was left to the care of Barret, another of the Great Three, and a friend to Elmyra's old lover. But since Barret was commanding the Army, Elmyra took Marlene in.

Aerith would never forget the smile on Elmyra's face and the glow of her aura when the latter took Marlene in their house. "_It would be nice to have a little girl in the house again. Since Genesis left, all I could cuddle was you. And I can't exactly baby you now Aerith. Thankfully, Marlene's here now."_ Those were Elmyra's words, and Aerith understood the woman's need for another child, a little happiness-a relief from worrying about her biological son, Genesis, who was currently fighting in the war.

The sound of heavy, hesitant footstep brought Aerith's thoughts back to the present. Her vision was blurry and she knew that if she rubbed her eyes, they would be damp with tears. Thoughts of Genesis, her brother, could do that-bring her to tears almost instantly.

"Good morning," Cloud greeted softly. It was almost a whisper. He sat down the chair nearest the window, needing the fresh, cool morning breeze on his skin. He felt hot, as if he was running a fever.

Aerith sensed Cloud's discomfort. She could tell the Prince wasn't used to so many people at the same room. After all, he was the Prince. They were always inside the Palace walls, never meeting much of the people.

She had heard that the Princes were trained for SOLDIER at an early age. The memories of the rumors made her gut twist. Who was cruel enough to subject children to the pain and pressure of training to fight, and possibly even kill? Sighing, she tried to calm her mind before attempting to carry the plate of bacon to the table.

"Good morning, Prince Cloud." Aerith remembered to call him by his name, as it was his request. She didn't know why, but she wanted to at least please him that way.

Cloud looked up at her then smiled, slowly. She had remembered his request, and was granting it. The thought sent his gut somersaulting. There was always something about Aerith to make him react that way.

"Sire, should you be up walking?" Elmyra asked. She carefully helped Marlene to her seat before pulling out a chair for herself. "You could tell us if you would like to rest more. Aerith could've just brought up a tray for you."

"I'm fine." Cloud wasn't used to talking to anyone other than his family, or the people at the Palace. What did people talk about when they had conversations outside of the Palace? It felt unsettling. Cloud was damned great at everything, except social skills. Damn him for ignoring his tutor back then.

"Mother, you're gonna make the Prince uncomfortable with the questions." Aerith laid down the plates for everyone. She took the other seat near the window, beside Cloud. She felt Cloud straighten up, tensing. She let out a chuckle then held Cloud's hand which he kept on his lap, under the table. "Loosen up."

Cloud was sure he was blushing now. Aerith was so near, whispering softly into his ear. She was calming _him_. Cloud sighed. He was never going to get better at this. Other than his aunt Lucrecia, Cloud had never talked to women before. Now that he thought about it, he needed help from his aunt Lucrecia. He wanted to know what would please a lady… such as _Aerith_. Damn. What was he thinking? He couldn't even talk to the lady properly the last time, now he was thinking of pleasing her? He must've gotten beaten up badly.

"Sire, you should eat now," Marlene said. She was looking at him with a small, tentative smile. It must be awkward to have him there.

"I…" Cloud tried to find his voice. He didn't realize that he was holding Aerith's hand tight, as if asking for support. He felt relieved that she hadn't pulled away from him, and instead, held his hand tighter. "Thank you for your kindness." He managed a slight bow of his head.

"Let us eat then," Elmyra said. She smiled then started helping Marlene with her food.

Aerith let go of Cloud's hand and started getting food in her plate. Cloud mimicked her. He wasn't really sure of how things worked in this setting. He was used to eating his meals alone in his room. Though Zack sometimes joins him, he doesn't talk much when they eat-Zack did most of the talking.

Cloud sighed. He just has to like through it at the moment. But still, he was looking forward to spending more time with Aerith. And that might not be so good.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Back in the Palace, Zack couldn't help but pace back and forth, worrying for his little brother. No news had come from the search parties they had sent the night before. The fact that his brother didn't have any weapon added to the strain on his mind. They were the Princes of Midgar, but that didn't ensure their safety, quite the contrary, it made their lives more dangerous.

Most of the citizens respected the Royal Family, but others didn't, or wouldn't. Their grandfather had made several enemies among the smaller factions, rebels to his rule, opposing him in whatever little way they could. And the greatest damage they could do was to cut the line to the throne-remove the Princes from the world. Zack would know; there had been so many attempts on his life, being the eldest, the Crowned Prince. Zack had grown accustomed to those threats, but now, he fears for his brother. Who knows what kind of people stayed in the shadows, lurking in the corner, waiting for a chance to strike down the young Prince who was oblivious to the pain of the world?

King Rufus watched his eldest son move around the throne room. This was the first time he had seen his son so agitated, among other times. Cloud had gotten himself into many dangerous situations before, but he had always had his brother behind his back. That was what made him proud of his sons-one would never be away from the other. Inseparable, that's what they were.

From the time they were kids, they were trained as one of SOLDIER, the army of Midgar. Zack was nine by then, but Cloud was only five. They were trained for SOLDIER per Sephiroth's request; how his brother managed to make him agree, he can't remember. Zack, being the older brother, watched out for Cloud, never left him alone. They helped each other develop-sparring with one another, teaching each other techniques. He often heard that the brothers were as one, moving, talking and deciding as if they were only one individual; 'two halves of a whole' was what he once said to the general.

"Zack, sit down," Rufus commanded. "Nothing will come of your pacing. I know this is hard for you, but you have to calm down."

Zack stomped one foot, then about faced. His eyes were a mixture or worry, guilt and anger. "I should've made him come with us. I didn't think he'd go out without me. Damn him for going out alone without his sword! Damn me for leaving him here behind!" Zack fell on his knees and gripped two fistfuls of his hair. He was worried for his brother, and the guilt of leaving him alone fueled his anger at himself.

"Zack, Cloud is not a little boy anymore. He would be able to handle himself now. You can't treat him like he needs help all the time. Trust your brother that he would use his training in SOLDIER, just as I trust that you would find him." And the King did. He knows how persistent-stubborn may be the right word-his son was.

Zack let out an exasperated sigh then shook his head. "You have too much faith in us."

The young Prince walked over to the windows where he can see the kingdom. The Palace was built higher than everything else-a show of supremacy. And it sickened him. Only his grandfather loved it. The man was arrogant, selfish and hungry for power. He _was _powerful, and he took every chance he had to show it, impose it on others. He was ruthless and cunning, merciless and cruel-everyone feared him.

Zack sighed. Everywhere, people feared their family, the Royal Family of Midgar, the greatest Empire ever built. He would've been proud had he not known the history. Many people had died for the foundation and glory of Midgar. His grandfather even went to extreme lengths, eliminating the one race that scared him, could defeat him-the Cetras.

The Prince fisted his hair, agitation welling up inside him. Memories always did. _His _memories. He would _never_ forget the expression of his grandfather's face-his eyes, wide with glee, filled with triumph and arrogance. He would never forget the way the Old King laughed, like a maniac who had made his greatest kill. The image had been tattooed in his mind.

A bird flew by the window, gaining the agitated Prince's attention. He was glad of the distraction. Slowly, he turned around to face his father.

"If the search party can't find him, I will." There was conviction in his voice. He made sure he would make his father understand. They knew him, knew that if his mind was made up, no one, absolutely no one can make him change his mind.

"You know I will not allow that. That is the reason we arranged a search party in the first place." Rufus stood from the golden chair and slowly walked over to his son's side. Zack faced the throne, while Rufus faced the window. They were shoulder to shoulder, or maybe his son's was higher. He didn't know anymore. He had been caught up in his search for the last Cetra, the princess of the great mages.

The King wanted nothing else but to atone for his sin, his lack of courage to stop his father. But honestly, the King didn't know what he would or could do for the Princess once she'd been found. He could only pray that she won't hate him for what his father had done, and what he had not done in the past.

"With every passing hour that Cloud is missing, your anxiety grows. I feel it, son." Rufus lay a hand on his shoulder. "What makes you so anxious about your brother's disappearance?"

Zack stayed silent, unsure of how to answer. Or was it rather he didn't know what to say? Ever since they were kids, he had always looked after his brother. Cloud was too weak back then, tumbling over the smallest of roots, crying over the simplest things, and even having temper tantrums at times. He could understand that it was because Cloud was only a child back then, so young yet already exposed to the cruelty of war. Cloud, barely even six, made many mistakes and it was he who always stepped in for his brother. And of course they were given special treatment, being the Princes to the Empire. That earned them a few jealous comrades.

"Trust in your brother Zack. He can handle himself." Even as he said it, the same anxiety racked his senses. His dream had disturbed him-his youngest son, all alone. He had prayed last night that his son was spared from the cruelties that raged the world, shook it, turning it over and over.

Zack could feel his father's hand tremble slightly but said nothing of it. His father was doing it again, acting all tough when all he wanted was to break down. He had seen the mighty King on the brink of tears before. Once when his wife had died, and another when a disease had caught Cloud in a death grip he barely survived. Even up to this day, Cloud wears a brand of that disease-Geostigma, they called it.

Without warning, the palace doors burst open. Vincent came walking rather hurriedly toward the King and whispered something in his ear. Zack had a knack for reading lips, and he got each word the Advisor had uttered.

_They're here._ Zack felt himself tense. Their guests were early. They had expected them to come the following week. What had made them some this early? Were they too eager to have one of the most powerful rulers in their line? Or did they just want to end the war quickly?

"Vincent, send our best men left to accompany them safely," Rufus commanded. "Have someone arranged to give them a tour of the Palace when they get here. Have Shera make the chambermaids prepare for our guests." Vincent nodded then excused himself. That's when Rufus faced Zack. "Leave if you want Zack."

Zack straightened up. He was being given permission to leave while he still can. He could just leave to find Cloud, but he doubt if he could do anything better than the search parties. What could one man possibly do?

"I'm staying. I couldn't leave my old man to entertain our guests, now could I? They might get bored and leave without talking about the engagement." Zack put on his goofy grin.

"Zack." That hadn't sounded like a reprimand. Rufus shook his head. It was so like Zack to try to brighten the atmosphere. And in times, Rufus was thankful he had Zack by him to keep the tension off.

"I know, Father. I know." Zack smiled then went out of the throne room. He could only do one thing at the moment. He should keep their guests busy until his brother comes back-for the sake of their meeting, and the end of the war.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"I heard that… you were my savior." Cloud had said it in a very low voice that Aerith almost missed it.

They were at her room. He sat near the edge of the bed as she watered the plants on the windowsill. She was humming to herself, the same lullaby she was humming that morning. Cloud heard her then before he had entered the kitchen.

Aerith stopped humming then turned to smile at him. "Oh I hardly think I can be called your savior." Aerith lifted her hand near her mouth, as if about to shout then said, "'Help!', that's all I said. Thankfully, Marlene stopped by the Church at that time. You were kind of heavy for Marlene and I to carry. So I asked her to call Nanaki. He's our… pet."

"Where is he?"

"Out. Running with friends, I think." Aerith turned her attention back to her plants. Once she was satisfied that they were well hydrated, she sat down the chair in front of the vanity table. "He doesn't stay here much. He'd much rather run wild and free."

Cloud couldn't picture a dog or even any other kind of pet carrying his unconscious body to the house. Their pet must be big, large enough to carry him on its body.

Aerith smiled. Somehow, she got an idea of what was Cloud thinking. "We had to put you in a cart. Nanaki pulled it while we pushed. He couldn't exactly carry you on his back." _Although, he did try_, she added inside her head.

"Oh." Cloud cleared his throat. "Thank him for me then."

"You can thank him yourself. If you're still here when he comes back." Aerith couldn't help the tinge of sadness in her voice. Reality was catching up on Aerith. Cloud was the Prince. He couldn't-wouldn't-stay with them. He belonged to the Palace. And she didn't.

"I still have to thank you, Aerith. If you hadn't come…" Cloud trailed off. He couldn't imagine surviving after what had happened to him.

"I found you lying on the flower patch in the Church. I tried helping you up, but I didn't have an inch of hope that I would be able to carry you. I had to ask help from others." Aerith's heart pounded against her chest. She wasn't nervous, she was just embarrassed at the thought of being Cloud's savior. "I didn't do much really. All I did was ask for help from whoever I saw." Aerith turned to smile at him.

Cloud felt himself relax. He wasn't the only one who was having a hard time with things. He wasn't uncomfortable, but he didn't know how to act either.

"So, Prince Cloud…" Aerith started, "what happened? Why were you in the Church?" She had wondered why Cloud was lying unconscious on her flowers. The Prince was supposed to be safely sleeping in his bed at the Palace, not the bed of flowers she owned.

Clound winced inwardly, gaining a look of worry on Aerith's face. She was about to go to him, but he raised his hand. "I'm fine. Nothing's hurting. I was just… Your question was…" Cloud had expected the topic. He was even ready to answer with the story he made up a while ago while eating. But somehow, telling Aerith his fabricated story felt so wrong to him.

Aerith sighed. "It's fine if you don't want to tell me. I was just worried. If you were attacked, it's frightening to think that one of those who live here in the Slums could've done it."

Aerith grew up in the Slums. The dark alleys and crowded streets had been her playground; she was used to the danger that came with it. But no one harmed her because of Genesis. Still, she knew how to defend herself. But her knowledge would not compare to that of the Princes's. That made Cloud's situation even mysterious. Someone from the Slums couldn't have been a match for Cloud. A group maybe, but that seems unlikely.

Cloud was powerful, and the Cetra was sure of that. She could feel it, feel someone's energy. The Cetras were known to be able to communicate with Gaia, their planet, through the planet's energy, the Lifestream. And each one of the people had that same energy imbued in their bodies, the source of everything they are. Each energy pattern was unique, yet somehow similar enough to enable them to connect with one another. That was how the Cetras were able to use the Lifestream for their magic.

Cetran legend says that their abilities to use the Lifestream had been a Gift to them by the Goddess. At that time, famine had wrought the land, which was still small back then. The Princess saw how the people suffered from starvation and sickness. And so the Cetran Princess prayed to the Goddess, asking for the deity's help. Her plight was answered, and she was given the power to use the Lifestream to bring back life to the land and heal the sick. The news of the Princess's ability spread throughout the land like wildfire. People from other kingdoms asked for the Princess to heal their sick. The Princess did her best to help them, but her body was weakened due to the constant use of her body. The Goddess appeared to her in a dream and told her to teach the Cetras how to use the Lifestream for healing and magic, and the Princess did as she was told. It was not long after that the Cetras catered to the need of the sick and wounded, gaining much respect from other kingdoms. The Kings and Queens of the other kingdoms gave part of their lands to the Cetras as their thanks for their help. Soon, the Kingdom of the Ancients flourished and grew stronger, forming many alliances. It was in Queen Ilfana's time that the Cetras reached their full potential as healers and mages, the Golden Age. Sadly, that came to an end with the rise of the Midgar Empire.

Aerith turned around and looked out the window. She stared at the flowerbeds she had outside on her windowsill and went to pick one of the white ones. The scent had always managed to calm her when every bad memory came back to haunt her in her dreams and thoughts.

_What if…?_ Aerith thought of Cloud's situation. If her flowers could calm her, would they have the same effect on Cloud?

With her back towards Cloud, she asked, "Cloud, w-would you close your eyes?" She closed her eyes and silently prayed that he would.

Cloud hesitated to answer. "Um, yeah," he agreed. He sighed before doing as the brunette said.

Aerith slowly walked towards Cloud, holding the white flower in her hand. She would try it. Try what she remembered her mother doing whenever her father was anxious. "Imagine the most beautiful thing you remember. When you do, keep the image in your mind, okay?"

Cloud nodded in agreement. Somehow, Aerith's voice sounded more… magical with his world in darkness. He started thinking of what he thought was beautiful. He tried remembering anything from his past which could be considered a beauty.

His mother? He couldn't remember her anymore. She had died when he was just a year old.

How about friends? Zack or Vincent didn't look beautiful. He shuddered at the thought.

His training? That could _never_ be something of beauty.

_Then… Aerith?_ Cloud held his breath for a second. Aerith… Yes, she was beautiful. Come to think of it, she was the only beautiful thing he had in his world. She had that wonderful aura about her that keeps him wanting to be near her always. Yes, he would keep Aerith's image in his mind.

Aerith saw Cloud's mouth twitch, as if hiding a smile. Whatever the Prince was thinking had that effect on him. _I wish it was me…_

The thought caught Aerith off guard. She shook her head to dispel the thought and slapped her cheek softly as if waking herself up. _Focus, Aerith… This is for Cloud, right?_ Aerith took a deep breath before stepping forward. She remembered what her mother would always say…

"Troubled soul, find comfort in my voice. Listen well, and find peace in the fragrance of the flower at bloom." Aerith blew softly on the flower and green dusts flew toward Cloud's face. She closed her eyes and started singing the Hymn of the Clerics, 'Healing Wind'.

The windows shot open as a powerful gust of wind entered the room. The wind carried with it waves of green energy as it caressed the pair. Aerith continued to sing the Cetra's hymn of healing as she held the flower.

Cloud saw images of Aerith flood his mind-her smile, her eyes, her laugh. Images of a meadow full of flowers came with each memory of her. Everything calmed in him, healing the remnants of last night's battle in his mind and heart. That was all because of Aerith. She was everything Cloud never had, and maybe everything he would need.

_Crap… It's sounding more like something from a cheesy novella…_

Aerith sang the last line of the song as she slowly opened her eyes. Cloud looked at ease. She was so engrossed in looking at him that she didn't notice Cloud stir.

The Prince was surprised to find Aerith staring right at him. He was lost in her green eyes in an instant. It was hard for him to look away. She was looking at him with such intensity that it was like she was staring right into his soul.

"I love your eyes," Aerith said. "They're like the sky-so blue." She smiled.

Cloud could swear his heart flipped with Aerith's honest statement. He coughed lightly then turned his head towards the door. He remembered the picture Aerith had on her dresser.

"You…" Cloud was hesitant to ask. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like if Aerith told him she had a lover, it would hurt. "Who's the man in the picture? The one above your dresser."

Aerith's smile faded and was replaced by a small frown. She inclined her head to the side as she rested her chin on her closed hand. "You mean Genesis?" She walked towards her dresser and took the frame in her hand. "So you've seen this."

"Genesis?" _That must be his name._

"Yes. Genesis is my brother," Aerith tried to smile, but failed. "He's Mom's real son." She tried to smile once again, and succeeded before facing Cloud.

"Where is he? I haven't seen him around here."

"He's part of SOLDIER. 1st Class. Impressive isn't it?" Aerith put the picture back on top of her dresser.

Cloud heard the note of bitterness in her voice. She must resent the idea, but was trying to be proud of her brother. Few could make it to being a 1st Class SOLDIER.

"Don't you like that he's fighting for Midgar?" Cloud had a feeling he already knew the answer.

The brunette looked at Cloud with a smile, but she was sure the Prince would see the sorrow in her eyes. "Fighting was never a good idea for me, what more of the war. I lost my parents that way-my real parents. Hey were killed when-" Aerith suddenly stopped. She would reveal herself as the last Cetra if she had carried on. "When I was only a year old."

_That was close…_ She feared what would happen if she were found out. Cloud was kind, but she didn't know anything about his father, King Rufus, except that he was looking for her.

"I'm sorry I asked," Cloud said. "It must be hard for you, for Elmyra."

"It's fine. It was Genesis's dream anyway." Aerith could still remember Genesis's last words as he left. "'Just you wait; I'm gonna be one of SOLDIER's Generals!' was what he said." She had imitated how her brother had his fist in the air as he faced his mother and sister.

"I don't doubt that he will."

That seemed to lift Aerith's spirits a bit. "Really? Do you really think so?" Cloud nodded in response. She clapped her hands together then smiled. "Thank you." She bowed her head then said a silent prayer to the Goddess.

Cloud smiled with Aerith. He couldn't understand how the flower girl could affect him in so many ways. One thing was sure though, he liked the feeling.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The guests from Nibelheim were waiting in the Royal Hall. An orange-haired man in a suit stood facing the window, while a black-haired female in an all-black outfit stood beside the chair intended for honored guests. Another man in a suit, this one bald with sunglasses on, stood not far from the door.

"This waiting thing is boring," the orange-haired man said. "How long do we have to wait for that Prince to come meet his so-called 'Bride'? Oh wait I forgot; we're not sure which Prince marries our Princess."

"Reno, if you can't say anything nice, better stay quiet," the black-haired woman reprimanded.

"Tifa, it's no use reprimanding Reno," the other man said. "You know how stubborn he is." He adjusted his glasses then placed his hands together near his abdomen.

"Thanks for the support, Rude," the man called Reno said sarcastically.

"Enough, all of you," a soft voice said. "We are to wait patiently, as my father has said."

"Yes, Princess Elena," the three chorused as they bowed.

The doors of the Royal Hall swung open as a third man in a suit walked in with Prince Zack and Vincent following him.

"Tseng," the woman called out. She immediately went to the man she called Tseng.

Tseng held his hand up before Tifa could reach him, and the latter stopped her approach. "I have with me His Highness, Prince Zack Strife, and the Royal Adviser, Vincent Valentine," he said with a bow towards Elena.

Zack's eyes followed the direction where Tseng bowed to. But his eyes caught a glimpse of Tifa. He found the raven-haired girl staring at him as well, and the brown met the blue. It was Vincent who got Zack's attention back.

"Princess Elena, I present to you Prince Zack Strife, eldest son to King Rufus and the Crowned Prince," Vincent said as he bowed.

Elena stood up from her seat then slowly turned to face Zack and Vincent. She smiled at the two as she courteously bowed back.

"And may I present to you Princess Elena of Nibelheim," Tseng said.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you Prince Zack," Elena said, "I will be in your care for the next weeks."

Zack's eyes widened for a moment. _Weeks?_ He immediately recovered before giving an answering smile. _Clever old man. This will be a long meeting._

* * *

clerith raven:

I've finally managed to finish this chapter! Yay!

Sorry about some things, for one, my writing style has changed so this chapter is longer than the past. I do hope I get feedback about it so that I can make it better for you all.

Don't be stingy about reviews! Hehe! ^^,


	5. Chapter 4: Twilight Rain

cLerith raven:

I'm so happy that Chapter 3 was well received! It's actually been two years since I've joined, and two years since I've started Meant To Be. I'm glad that it still receives reviews, and those reviews inspired me to go on with writing. Thank you all!

I plan on making you squeal in this chapter. I hope I don't fail. :)

BTW, in Chapter 2: Destined Meeting, I made a mistake of naming the King of Nibelheim as Barret. The King, and father to Elena, is actually Reeve Tuesti. Sorry. :) And, I _**might**_ rewrite the first three chapters (Prologue, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2) to give everyone a better insight to the story.

Also, you'll have to forgive me for errors I might make in relation to the first three chapters; I've forgotten most of what I've written there before. If there are any discrepancies, please tell me. :)

* * *

**Meant To Be**

Chapter 4: Twilight Rain

Aerith hummed the lullaby she loved as she walked the streets of Sector 9 with Cloud beside her. The Prince had volunteered to escort Aerith to the 7th Heaven Inn. The streets were dimly lit, as the sunlight couldn't really pierce the fog. It was winter after all.

"Aerith!" Marlene called out. The little girl had her moogle doll in her arms as she ran to meet the pair.

Aerith smiled as she took the hand of Marlene. "Where have you been? You left after breakfast." She took a look at Marlene's dress and noticed a black stain near the hemline. "Where did you get this? Don't tell me you were playing near the Mako reactors again? We've told you, it's dangerous there. And you've got grease on your shoes too. What am I going to do with you?"

Marlene wiped at the stain in her dress but got her hand stained as well. "Sorry. This is the last time, I promise," she said as she raised her right hand.

"That's what you said the last time," Aerith said with a shake of her head. She smiled after pinching the little girl's cheek. "Alright, go on home. Clean up. You've got grease on your face."

"Uh-huh. I'll go wash now. See you later, Aerith, Prince Cloud." Marlene bowed her head before running away towards the house.

"She's a lively girl, isn't she?" Cloud commented. "She takes after you, I guess."

Aerith smiled as her gaze followed the little girl. She wanted to make sure Marlene would get home safely. "I guess she does."

"She imitates you, doesn't she?" He asked. "I mean, with the hair ribbon and the dress. She looks like a younger Aerith."

The brunette thought about what Cloud said then smiled. Marlene did take after her. After all, it was Elmyra who took care of both of them. "I think, it's because of Mom," she said, "Mom was the one who took care of me, the same goes with Marlene. She always brushed our hair at night, and the one who braided it in the morning. I guess, we grew up with it as a habit. And don't get me started on the dress." She laughed softly.

Cloud tilted his head a bit then smiled. "I like your hair that way."

"Thank you." Aerith started walking towards Central Square. "Shouldn't you be heading home too?"

Cloud thought for a bit before giving his answer, "It's alright. I…" He chose his words carefully. "I want some time to myself anyway, away from the Palace."

"Hmm… I know a good place for you to spend some quiet time alone," Aerith suggested. "It's not that far, but it takes a while to walk there."

"Don't you have work at the Inn?" Cloud asked.

Aerith laughed before shaking her head. It's my day-off. You were out cold for two days, mind you."

Cloud was taken aback. _I was unconscious for two days?_ He thought about the incident. The attack was brutal, but he didn't imagine that it would take him that long to wake up. "I'm… I'm sorry. I didn't think that it had already been two days."

"You were in a pretty bad shape. I was so relieved when you finally woke up," Aerith said, "Will you tell me what happened?"

Cloud contemplated on whether he should tell Aerith or not. He made a deep sigh before turning towards her. "I'm not sure about what happened exactly."

Aerith was about to speak when someone bumped into her, causing her to drop her basket of flowers. Both Cloud and Aerith bent down to pick up the flowers, not noticing that the one who had bumped the flower girl was already picking their pockets.

"Sorry," the guy said as he hurriedly walked away. He headed towards the alley leading to the 6th Sector of the Slums.

Aerith reached for her necklace just to check the locket her mother had given her on her first birthday. She panicked when she realized that it was gone. "Prince Cloud, he was a thief!" She began to run after the pickpocket before Cloud could stop her.

"Aerith, don't! It's dangerous!" Aerith kept running, ignoring his warning. He had no choice but to run after the flower girl.

Aerith ran as fast as she could. She couldn't bear the thought of losing the only thing she had left of her mother. _Mother, help me_.

As if hearing Aerith's plea, the thief stumbled forward, tripping on a rusty pipe. She took her chance and tried to grab at the thief's hand. The thief shoved her away in return. He stood up as he unsheathed a knife and brandished it in front of her.

Aerith gauged their distance; the thief could take a good swipe at her if he wished. As if reading her thoughts, the thief made a downward strike at Aerith-being the taller person. The flower girl dodged it by circling sidewards to the right, avoiding the blade by a few scant inches. Her ribbon wasn't so lucky, though. Her hair became loose, framing her face with its curls.

_I wish I wasn't in a dress._ She balled her hands into fists and reached behind her. In circumstances like this, she was thankful she had her pocket-staff, as Marlene called it.

The thief must have sensed that Aerith had a weapon because he immediately tried to kick at her hand. She back-stepped then crouched down, swiping the thief's foot with her own. He went down with a thud on the hard pavement. She heard him curse before he pulled a throwing knife from his sleeve.

_This is bad._ Aerith immediately pulled out a short metal rod from her pocket. She felt for the red button in the middle. With a press of the button, the rod lengthened. _Act quickly._

The thief threw the knife towards Aerith. With a twist of her hand, she managed to deflect the knife. Using the staff as support, she jumped backwards, landing on her feet.

Aerith was caught by surprise when the thief tackled her by the feet, sending her backwards. She half expected to hit her head on the pavement, but had hit something less hard.

Cloud put his hands over Aerith's, grasping the staff with her. He used Aerith's staff to strike the thief away. With Aerith free, he held her tight by the arms as he swerved around, hiding the flower girl behind him. "Are you alright?" he asked worriedly. Aerith nodded in reply.

After assuring himself that Aerith was not wounded, Cloud turned his attention to the thief, who was trying to get back up. He motioned for Aerith to stay where she was as he approached the thief. He saw the man cough up blood. Cloud noticed the silver locket on the man's back pocket and reached for it. Satisfied with getting Aerith's locket back, he bent down on one knee, and was eye to eye with the thief.

"You shouldn't have done that to her," he said in a whisper. Cloud kneed the thief in the head as he stood up. "That's for throwing a knife at her."

"Prince Cloud!" Aerith shouted, "That's enough. Let's go."

Cloud tried hard not to strike the downed man again the turned to Aerith. He was so engrossed with trying to get the thief away from Aerith that he hadn't noticed her hair was loose. He saw the pink cloth, torn in two, inches away from the brunette.

Aerith saw Cloud staring at the pink ribbon she had on a while ago. She walked over to the side of the pavement and picked the longer half. In a few minutes, she was able to braid her hair and tie it at the end, using the half of her old ribbon. She then turned around and beckoned Cloud to her. "Let's go," she said as she reached out her hand.

Cloud took a last look at the man before walking towards Aerith. He wa surprised when Aerith took his hand and smiled.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. Her hair was disheveled from the fighting, but Cloud still found her beautiful.

"Your locket," Cloud said as he showed it to her.

"Could you put it on for me?" Aerith requested with a warm smile. Cloud nodded. The flower girl turned her back to Cloud and gathered her hair, pulling it up.

Cloud hesitantly put the locket around Aerith's neck. He couldn't avoid brushing his fingers against her skin. It felt as soft as the petals of the flowers she sold. "There."

Aerith put her hair down then touched the heart-shaped locket; tears started to form in her eyes. Then she remembered her ribbon. _I have to buy another one, I guess._ She sighed then thought of how to repay Cloud with his help. "How about a date?"

Cloud wasn't sure if he had heard the flower girl correctly. "A what?"

"A date, silly," Aerith replied with a smile, "I want to thank you for getting my locket back."

Cloud didn't know what to say and kept staring at Aerith. "T-That's not necessary." He must've said the wrong thing because Aerith frowned.

"Are you saying you don't want to go on a date with me?" she asked playfully.

"No, no," he replied. "I-It's just that-" Cloud was unsure how he would say it without sounding a fool, "I've never been on a date before."

Aerith chuckled then took Cloud by the hand. "Me neither," she said. "So, let's wing it. Let's just stroll around town, seeing as my flowers were ruined, I can't sell them anymore today." She led Cloud towards the direction of Central Square.

Cloud let Aerith drag him to the plaza outside the Slums. It took them a while before they got out of the Slums. From the isolated alleys, they went into the bustling community lot. The place was brighter than the alleys of the Slums.

Cloud noticed a small store selling accessories near the fountain. That gave him an idea. "Aerith, wait for me here," he said as he went to the store.

Aerith wondered what Cloud would be doing in an accessories shop. _Maybe he wants to buy something for his girlfriend?_ Of course, the Prince would have someone, probably a lover. That thought earned a small streak of hurt in her heart.

Cloud emerged from the store after a few minutes holding a round box. He was looking down as he walked towards Aerith. When he was sure he was in front of the girl, he raised his head. Surprisingly, Aerith was looking away-at the sky. He followed her gaze and saw what had caught her attention.

"Blood was shed," Aerith said, "That's what my mother always told me when the sky was tainted with a reddish color."

"Your mother? Elmyra?"

"No, my real mother," Aerith replied sadly. She held her hands together and prayed, "Dear souls, may the Goddess guide you to the Lifestream."

Cloud was slowly being overcome by Aerith's compassion. He couldn't imagine any other person having so much kindness in her heart. He remembered Aerith's story of her mother, not that it was a complete one. He needed just that one detail: her parents died when she was young. Despite the fact that she lost both her parents, she still grew up to be a compassionate woman. Who else could say that?

"Prince Cloud, you're staring again," Aerith said. She had a small smile on her face, and she was blushing, or at least that's what Cloud thought.

Cloud couldn't think of anything else to say, so he handed the round box to Aerith. "Here," he said, "I-I got you something from the store."

Aerith pointed to herself, "For me?" she asked. Cloud just nodded his reply. The flower girl hesitantly took the box from Cloud. "T-thank you." She untied the ribbon then lifted the lid. When she peered inside, she almost dropped the box. "Prince Cloud! This is…" she said in awe. She couldn't believe it-a pink ribbon. She took the ribbon in her hand and caressed the soft cloth.

"I just thought you'd like a new one, since yours got ripped earlier," Cloud said. He felt happy that Aerith liked what he got.

"I can't possibly-"

"Think of it as your… reward for braving your fight earlier," Cloud said. "I didn't know you could fight that well. You just might get into SOLDIER," he added jokingly.

Aerith pushed at Cloud's shoulder lightly while she chuckled. "I told you I can fight," she said. "Um, Prince Cloud?" She waited until Cloud looked at her. Aerith surprised Cloud when she kissed the Prince on the cheek. "Thank you again," she said with a giggle.

Cloud touched his cheek in disbelief, but realized that he seemed like a fool so he dropped his hand almost immediately. He thought he seemed flustered.

_That's what Aerith can do to you_, the little voice in his head said. Cloud smiled at the thought.

Aerith smiled with the Prince. _Could this day get any better?_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Reno and Rude flanked Princess Elena as she approached Prince Zack and Vincent. Tifa stayed near Tseng, who was at the Prince's left side. Everyone was still and quiet, only the footsteps were heard.

Zack couldn't help but notice how simple the Princess looked like. She was in a cream colored dress with a black ribbon tied in front at the waist. Her white high-heeled shoes clicked with every step she took, and the sound echoed the large room.

In contrast to the Princess's white dress, Zack noticed her guards wore black suits with a white polo beneath and black leather shoes, all except Reno and Tifa. Reno had his suit open at the top and wore rubber shoes, while Tifa wore a black sleeveless leather top and a white tank top beneath it, and black shorts and combat boots to match them.

Zack looked at Vincent who was silent beside him. Not that he was complaining, but Vincent looked more intimidating than Elena's guards. He was still as a rock, almost like he wasn't breathing. His red cape hung freely at his back while his black overalls were slightly hidden at the front.

Elena stopped in front of Zack and gave a courteous bow, Reno and Rude did the same. "I assume that you didn't know of the arrangements?" she asked.

Zack shook his head before answering, "No," was his simple reply. "How was your trip, Princess?" he asked.

"It was fine, although it took us almost a whole day," Elena replied. "I forgot to introduce my companions." She nodded towards Tseng.

Tseng cleared his throat then bowed towards Zack. "I am Tseng, Princess Elena's main guard," he said. He motioned for Tifa to step beside him. "This is Tifa Lockhart, my sister, and right-hand subordinate."

Tifa smiled then bowed, just as her brother had done. "It's my pleasure to meet you, Your Higness," she said. Zack bowed his head as well.

"Next is Reno." Tseng indicated the orange-haired guard, "He is Princess Elena's direct guard, the one who always accompanies her." Reno bowed down then looked at Rude. "And lastly, we have Rude," Rude bowed down as well. "We have another guard, Cissnei, but she'll follow with the King," Tseng added.

Zack straightened up then cleared his throat. "As Tseng has mentioned earlier, this is Vincent Valentine, the Royal Adviser to my Father, King Rufus," he said, "Let me formally welcome you to the Midgar Empire, and we welcome you to our Palace."

"I'm sure you would like to rest at this time," Vincent said. "You've come a long way from Nibelheim." He looked at every guest they had from Nibelheim. They had the same expression of weariness on their faces, all except one-Tifa.

Tifa looked out the window, staring out into the direction of the sun. She was not used to the scenery, nothing but buildings and roads and smoke. She was already missing the mountains of Nibelheim, and the starry night.

Vincent proceeded to take the guests to their rooms. "Princess Elena, let me show you to your room."

Reno looked at Vincent from head to toe. Whatever he was looking for, he sure found it as he gave a nod towards Rude, then at Tseng.

"We will accompany the Princess," Tseng said. He motioned for Reno to stand beside Elena with Rude following them behind. He was signaling Tifa to stay in front of the Princess, but he wasn't noticed. "Tifa!"

Tifa's head snapped towards the direction of Tseng. She looked confused about the new positions of her companions, and then at once went to her position, just like how they did back in Nibelheim. She muttered an apology only for Tseng to hear as she did so.

"Shera!" Vincent called out. A woman in her late twenties emerged from the door and bowed towards Vincent. "This is Shera, she's sees to the management of the chambermaids, and the wife to Cid, the Captain of the Royal Guards."

Shera bowed her head then smiled at the guests. "Welcome to the Palace," she greeted, "Please, come this way," she added. He indicated for them to follow her out of the room.

Tseng bowed once again before following after Shera. The rest of the party followed behind him.

Zack blew out a heavy sigh. "I'm stiff," he exclaimed, "How formal could they get? I swear Vincent, that Tseng character is a lot like you-a statue." He moved his arms around, unwinding the stiffness of his muscles from staying in the same position for a long time.

"Sire, you should rest as well. Tomorrow, the King requests that you lead your own team in the search for your brother." Vincent bowed to the Prince before taking his leave.

Zack bowed down as well then headed for his room. He stopped at the room beside his- Cloud's room. It had been unoccupied for three days now, something that Zack was not used to.

Zack turned the knob and noticed that it was unlocked. He had asked Shera to make sure that no one locks the door to Cloud's room. He didn't know exactly why he had asked that. Maybe he though Cloud would come back to his room quietly, just like what he would do before. The memory brought a smile to his face.

Zack traced the edge of Cloud's bedside table as he remembered their training days. As children, training was hard for them. Cloud would always end up getting beaten up during the sparring, and then disappear. Of course that sent the instructors panicking to look for the young Prince, but Zack would always come to this room quietly. He had always known Cloud would seek the refuge of his room. This was where they felt the presence of their mother the strongest.

"Mom, bring him back to us," he whispered as he stood by the door. He took another look at the room before he went outside.

The sunlight pierced the curtains, hitting the only picture that hung on Cloud's room. The late Queen of Midgar, the Princes' mother.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"That doesn't look quite right," Aerith said as she looked at the cart. Elmyra, Marlene and Cloud were in Aerith's room, trying to build a flower cart for her. They had spent the afternoon trying to build it.

Elmyra tilted her head as she inspected their work. "I'm sorry dear, but you know Genesis is the one who was good at this."

Cloud kept silent as he watched the women. He had volunteered to help them, but they said it was embarrassing. He wondered why they needed a flower cart. Aerith was doing fine selling the flowers without it.

"Prince Cloud, what do you think? Is it cute?" Aerith asked. She seemed unsatisfied with their work.

"Err…" he started to say.

"Never mind," Aerith said, "Don't answer that," she said with a smile. "Mom, I can just use the basket, really. A cart's just too big for me right now."

Elmyra sighed heavily. It had been her suggestion that Aerith sell her flowers using a cart. "Are you sure, dear?" Aerith nodded a reply. "Very well then," she said as she stood up. "Marlene, let's go down now." Elmyra took Marlene's hand and led her out the room with her other hand pulling the incomplete cart.

"Why didn't you like the cart?" Cloud inquired. Even if the cart wasn't 'cute', it was functional, well _almost_ functional.

"It just didn't seem right," Aerith replied. "I mean, I can ask for a little luxury, right?"

"You say that it's a little, but it's actually plenty right?" Cloud guessed.

Aerith giggled then nodded. "Will you hear them out?"

"Yeah," Cloud replied, "How many?"

Aerith started counting with her fingers, then held up two fingers on her right hand and three fingers in her left hand. "About 23?"

"That many?" Cloud asked. "You'd better write them down then, since I'd most likely forget them."

Aerith nodded and did as Cloud said. She took a notepad from her dresser and a pen. After taking a seat, she started scribbling away.

Cloud watched the animation in Aerith's eyes as she wrote down the luxuries she wanted. He tried thinking of what a woman like Aerith would want. _I want to give them to her_. The thought pushed at Cloud. He didn't know why, but he wanted to make Aerith happy by giving her the little luxuries she wanted.

"There!" Aerith exclaimed when she had finished. She stood up then turned towards Cloud. "Just keep it for now," she said as she handed the paper to Cloud. "You can read it later. It's dark now, you'd better go get some sleep, Prince Cloud."

Cloud took the paper from Aerith's hand. "Okay," he said. He was about to walk out of the room when Aerith stopped him.

"Where are you planning on sleeping tonight?" she asked.

Cloud paused for a bit. Where _will_ he sleep? "I-I don't know."

"You can sleep in Genesis's room," Aerith said. "He won't mind since he's not here. And it's kind of funny seeing you sleep in my bed. You don't quite fit in it." She took Cloud's hand then led him out of the room.

Cloud stared at their interlocked hands. He should feel uneasy, what with a girl holding his hand. But he felt the opposite, like he never wanted to let go.

_Damn, what is this?_

They stopped in front of the room across Aerith's. The flower girl opened the door and pulled Cloud inside. The room was obviously belonged to a male. It was simple, with white walls and two windows. The bed was placed near the window with an end table beside it. A cabinet stood not far away from the door, and family portraits hung in the walls. And a bookshelf was situated across the cabinet. Other than those, nothing else was there.

"This is your brother's room?" Cloud asked. Aerith nodded. "He's quite the bookworm," he commented. The books seemed to have been organized, some looked worn out from being read often.

"Genesis loved books. His favorite was 'Loveless'," she said. "He loved that book so much that he's memorized most of it. He even took it with him."

Cloud noticed how much Aerith knew her brother. _I wish you'd get to know me as well, too_. Cloud shook his head, dispelling the thought. _Get a grip_.

"Well then, Prince Cloud," the brunette said, "Good night." She went out of the room and gently closed the door.

"Good night," Cloud whispered.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Zack woke up early the next day and the sun was just starting to rise. The cold breeze brushed his face like a caress as he looked down over his balcony. He remembered his mother at times like this. She loved the morning breeze, and she would always sit on the balcony of her room, carrying Zack in her lap. They would just enjoy the wind as they watched the sun go up the horizon.

The Prince let out a heavy sigh then looked down at the garden. He saw someone in black moving through the flower patch. He titled his head, wondering who it might be. He could tell that it was a female by her figure. He could only guess that it was Tifa, since she was the only one who had black hair in the Palace.

"What are we up to, I wonder?" he said. He continued to watch the raven-haired woman as she stopped in the middle of the garden.

Tifa slowly stretched out, getting ready to practice. As usual, she started with head and shoulder rotations, and then began with her usual arm and leg exercises. She took the chance to inspect her surroundings.

The garden was lovely, almost divine. The flowers gave off a sweet and pleasant smell, mixing with the gentle breeze. It was rare to see flowers these days, and much more astonishing if someone had a garden full of them, just like this one.

Tifa jumped up and down then started with her muscle training. She let out a few deep breaths before doing a series of consecutive kings and punches. She always had a combination, a pattern she followed. It was in memory of her teacher, her father.

Zack watched Tifa as she fought with the wind. He was impressed with how fast she moved, wondering if she was a match for him. His thoughts were interrupted by a tap on his shoulder.

"Sire," Vincent said after clearing his throat, "You'd better start your preparations. The King requests that your team start the search as early as possible. The Kind is very much disturbed with our guests' arrival while your brother is missing."

Zack let out a sigh then took one last look at Tifa. She was doing a series of strikes which he guessed were aimed at the abdomen. _I'd hate to be the one who she spars with today_. His mouth curved up a bit before he turned towards Vincent. "On it."

Zack gave a small salute using two of his fingers, and then held on to the handrails of the balcony. Using them as leverage, he jumped off of the balcony, landing in a wolf statue a few feet below him. As soon as his feet touched the marble statue, he used his leg muscles to backflip, this time landing on the garden.

Tifa was startled at Zack's entrance-she actually yelped. "Prince Zack," she said as she hastily bowed.

Zack laughed a bit then bowed as well. "Sorry if I startled you. Just a quick detour before I set off," he said. "See 'ya." He took off running towards the training grounds just behind the Palace.

Tifa watched as the Prince disappeared into the corner before resuming her stance. Just as she swung her hand, another hand caught her arm in a firm grip.

"Early practice again?" Tseng asked his sister. His smile was small but warm, just like her father's.

Tifa nodded before trying a kick to her brother's shins. _Oh yeah, the heat is on_.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Aerith hummed her lullaby as she walked towards the Inn. Cloud, as usual, followed behind her. She was in a good mood, probably from having a good start with the day. She had awoken that morning with a flower at her end table. She could only imagine that Cloud had left it there for her.

The flower girl slowed her pace when she saw Yuffie standing outside the Inn. "Aerith!" the petite girl called out, waving a hand.

Aerith waved back then started to run towards her friend. "Good morning!"

"Wow, someone's in a really good mood," Yuffie commented. She was about to tease her when she noticed Aerith's companion. "Oh! The Prince!" She hurriedly bowed down then gave an awkward smile before running inside.

The brunette laughed softly then smiled at Cloud. "Well, we should go inside." She opened the door then went in. She waited for Cloud to go in as well before closing the door.

The morning went on as it always did. People came and left, some stayed longer to talk to Aerith. This was how things usually were-except for Yuffie asking Aerith every hour about why Cloud was with her, and the fact that Lucrecia was nowhere to be seen.

"Yuffie, how come Lucrecia's not here yet?" Aerith asked. She was used to their boss coming early, but it was already near noon and Lucrecia hadn't come yet.

"I don't know either," Yuffie replied. "She called me a while ago though, said she'll be late," she added. Yuffie went to attend to a customer asking for water.

Aerith shrugged her shoulders then went on with her work. As for Cloud, he sat in a corner of the inn, watching Aerith and Yuffie work. He was hoping he could talk with his Aunt Lucrecia, but she wasn't there, so he contented himself with staring at the brunette.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Zack was drinking water from his jug when he spotted someone he knew very much. "Aunt Lucrecia!" he called out.

The woman searched for whoever called her name, and found her nephew already running towards her. She smiled at him then reached her hand out. "Careful," she warned.

Zack took his aunt's hand then asked, "What are you doing here in Central Square? I thought you were on a research trip in Gongaga?"

Lucrecia tilted her head and arched an eyebrow. "How did you know about that?" She sighed then led her nephew towards a bench. She sat down then motioned for Zack to sit beside her.

"So, what happened?" The last time Zack had seen her aunt was about a year ago when they had to leave for Gongaga, along with Sephiroth and several scientists, researchers and SOLDIERS as well. From what he remembered, they were looking for something-what that was, he didn't know. Last he heard, they were in Kalm for the search.

"We came back almost a week ago," Lucrecia replied. "Didn't Rufus tell you? He already spoke with Sephiroth."

"No, no one told Cloud and me." Zack scratched the back of his head. "Father's preoccupied with many things at the moment."

Lucrecia nodded her understanding. "So I've heard. I was wondering why a car with a Nibelheim emblem had gone into our territory, with the war and all," she plaved her hands on her lap. "I guess one of you and your brother will be marrying the Nibelheim Princess?" she said.

Zack chuckled. Lucrecia was smart, well she was a scientist, but she had a special knack for figuring things out when it came to him and his brother. She was very much like their mother, which was why they were so close.

"You always guess right, Aunt Lucrecia," he commented. "Well, the marriage thing is one thing, but what worries us most right now is Cloud. He's missing."

Lucrecia gasped. "When? I just saw him three days ago!"

"That's when he went missing. He left the palace around noon but he didn't come home," Zack replied. "He's been missing since then. We've had about three search parties deployed to find him. My team's the fourth."

"I'll join you," she said.

Zack wanted to protest, but he knew better than to oppose his aunt. Lucrecia would never sway once she decided on something. He wasn't surprised when Lucrecia stood up then started walking towards where his men were resting. He laughed when he realized that his aunt was reprimanding his team. She was kind and sweet, but she could also be as tough as a nail when it came to them, really just like their mother.

"Alright, let's continue," he said to himself as he stood up. He had to go save his team from Lucrecia's scolding too.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It was around 4 pm when Aerith saw Lucrecia come in. Yuffie had already finished her shift and had left. She was surprised when she saw Lucrecia with Prince Zack and a few SOLDIERS.

"Cloud, your brother's here," Aerith informed the Prince, "and they're not alone.

Cloud had abruptly stood up that he knocked the chair he was sitting on backwards, gaining the attention of everyone. Zack's eyes widened when he saw his brother while Lucrecia ran towards her newphew.

"Cloud!" Lucrecia cried, "They said you were missing. Where have you been?" She embraced her nephew as soon as she touched him.

Cloud hugged his aunt back then looked towards Zack. "Hey," he greeted sheepishly.

Zack narrowed his eyes, a bit annoyed at his brother. From his inspection, Cloud looked fine, more than fine actually. _So why the hell didn't he go home?_

Cloud could feel his brother's annoyance. _It's my fault anyway._ He let go of his aunt then walked towards Zack. He was face to face with his brother but he wasn't sure of what he should say.

Seconds passed by before Zack made a move. He locked his brother's hands behind his back. "I'm gonna break your arms! Where the hell were you when we were so damn worried about you?"

"Sorry!" Cloud groaned. "I can explain that." He looked towards Aerith whose eyes were wide with shock with what was happening.

Zack followed Cloud's gaze then let go of his brother, pushing him forward a little. "Tch. You'd better explain it very clearly."

"Uhm, maybe I can help with that," Aerith said. "I'm Aerith Gainsborough, Your Highness," she said with a bow.

Zack looked from his brother to the brunette who had just introduced herself. "What do you have to do with this?"

"I should start the explanation first then," Lucrecia said.

She started with a quick introduction of Yuffie and Aerith before she told Zack of her request to Cloud. Aerith took on with the explanation afterwards, from the time when she parted with Cloud that night to when Cloud had awoken.

"That's what you get for leaving your goddamn sword!" Zack scolded. He turned to Aerith then gave a slight bow. "Thank you for taking care of my brother," he said sincerely.

"T-that's-Your welcome, Sire," Aerith said, panicking. She bowed down as well.

"We have to take our leave now," Zack said. "Cloud, let's go home. Father had been very worried." He took his brother's arm. "And, the Princess is here," he added in a whisper.

Cloud looked at Aerith briefly before nodding to his brother. "Let me finish up here first," he said. Zack nodded then left the Inn with his team. Lucrecia escorted her nephew outside.

Cloud went to Aerith. "Thank you for everything, Aerith," he said.

"Same here, Prince Cloud," Aerith said with a smile. "Uhm, will you come visit again?" she asked hesitantly.

"I will," Cloud promised.

"I'll wait then," Aerith said.

Cloud nodded then turned around to leave. Once outside, he walked towards his brother. "Let's go." They said their farewells to Lucrecia then headed home.

Aerith watched with sad eyes as Cloud and his brother, along with the SOLDIERS, walked away. Somehow, she felt like a part of her went away with the Prince.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Cloud was nervous. Well, he should be. Zack had told him earlier how much their Father had been worrying about him. That, and the fact that they had sent out three, or rather four, search teams to find him.

Everyone was silent, well except for Zack who was whistling a song. He seemed very relaxed-probably because they had found him. They were nearing the Audience Chamber now. Cloud got more nervous. He was expecting a scolding. _You deserve it, too_.

Once the doors were opened, Cloud braced himself for the lecture of his life.

"Father, we've found him," Zack announced. He surprised his brother by grabbing Cloud's in a headlock. That was how he dragged his brother inside.

"Ow, Zack!" Cloud protested, "Let go!" He held onto his brother's arms, trying to pry them away from his spiky head.

Relief was evident in Rufus's face. He couldn't help but chuckle at his son's playfulness. "Enough Zack," he said.

Zack let go of Cloud and raised both his arms as if in surrender. He smiled then kicked his brother forward. Cloud, who was just recovering from his brother's headlock, stumbled forward.

"Ooh, sorry bro, my bad," Zack said as he helped his brother up. "Man, you're grown weak in just three days."

Cloud glowered at Zack before bowing down to his Father. "Father, I'm sorry for worrying you," he said.

Rufus stood up then went to his son. He put his hand on Cloud's shoulder then straightened him up. His smile was warm, a welcome. He shook his head before hugging Cloud. "Never do that again, you hear me, Cloud?" he whispered.

"Mm," Cloud replied with a nod.

Rufus let go of Cloud then turned to face Zack. He motioned for him to join them, and the three smiled to one another. Rufus was very glad that he had his family. His sons reminded him of his late wife. How he missed her.

Vincent came in the Audience Chamber a while later. He had a serious expression on his face, which was replaced with one of relief when he saw Cloud. "Sire, welcome back," he greeted the Prince. He bowed down then turned towards Rufus. "My King, seeing as how Prince Cloud is back, maybe we could have the formal introductions?"

Rufus sighed. "Very well then," he said. "Vincent, have Shera prepare the Hall for a meeting. In the meantime, Cloud?" He waited for Cloud to look at him. "You have some explaining to do, young man."

Cloud looked towards Zack. He just shrugged his shoulders. "Yes, Father," he replied.

Cloud reiterated the story Aerith had told to Zack earlier. His brother would make comments every now and then, which pretty much annoyed Cloud a bit. When he was done, Rufus had a small smile in his face.

"You have to bring that girl here for me to meet some time," Rufus said.

Cloud was surprised. He wasn't expecting his Father to say that. "Uhm, okay."

As if on cue, Vincent appeared at the door. "Sire, everything is ready." Rufus stood up and motioned for his sons to follow him.

"Time to meet the future bride," Zack said.

Cloud didn't give a reply. He just followed behind his Father. He was uneasy with the situation. _Meet the bride, huh?_

Zack and Cloud were talking about how Zack met the Princess yesterday when their guests from Nibelheim came. Cloud gazed upon the new arrivals and was wondering why the Princess had so many guards. One of which was a girl. He looked to his brother to inquire about them, but he saw Zack staring at the girl.

Zack's eyes were glued to the black-haired guard who had just come in. He realized that Cloud was looking at him then straightened up. He knew from his brother's gaze that he would be explaining later.

Elena was surprised to see a new face. She turned towards Reno to ask, but he shook his head. It was Tseng who gave an answer.

"He is Prince Cloud, Your Highness," he said in a whisper. "Vincent told me he had gone out when we arrived."

"Oh," Elena said, "That's why we only met Zack yesterday." She smiled towards the Princes then bowed down before the King. "Your Majesty," she said.

Rufus nodded then motioned for them to take a seat. "From what Vincent has told me, you have met my son, Zack," he started, "Then I would like to introduce my younger son, Cloud."

Cloud bowed down from where he and his brother were standing. "I apologize for my absence yesterday. I was…" he thought of a word, "out."

"Tseng has informed me that you had left when we arrived," Elena said. "It is nice to finally meet you, Prince Cloud."

Cloud gave a small nod then said, "Same here." He took a seat at his father's left side while Zack took the right one.

Elena and the others sat at the other end of the table. It was Reno who helped Elena to her chair, then he sat down at her left side. Tseng sat at Elena's right side, with Tifa beside him. Rude took his seat at Reno's side.

"My Father says that he would be coming next week for the preparations," Elena said. "I hope that it's not much of a bother."

"No, my dear," Rufus said. "I am thankful that your Father has agreed with me in the first place."

"The King wishes for the war to end soon," Tseng said, "Your offer was highly suitable."

Zack and Cloud looked at each other. It seemed that their guests were very open to the topic of marriage.

"Then I will speak with your Father about the wedding preparations, then?" Rufus asked.

"Yes, Your Highness," Elena replied.

"Well then, let us eat. Shera has prepared a wonderful meal for us," Rufus said.

Cloud was relieved. And he saw that Zack felt the same way. He had a hunch it had something to do with the lady guard Elena has. One thing was for sure though-he definitely wished he wouldn't be the one to get married.

"Father please consider," Cloud pleaded. "I only ask for a week."

They were in the Throne Room. Cloud had asked to speak privately with his Father, and Zack joined in. He could only guess that he and his brother were on the same side.

"Why, Cloud?" Rufus asked. "Why ask for a week before we decide who's to marry Elena?"

Cloud hesitated to answer, so Zack spoke on his behalf. "Father, let us get to know the Princess more before we decide."

"You can get to know her after you're married."

"But Father," Cloud protested, "Can we just wait?"

"Why are both of you insisting of postponing the decision?" Rufus was getting a vibe that neither of his sons wanted to push through with the marriage. "This is for the good of both Kingdoms."

Cloud sighed. He turned to his brother for help. Zack nodded, indicating he had an idea.

"Father," he started, "What if we let the Princess decide who she deems worthy of being her husband? Then let us wait for King Reeve to approve first before we start with the preparations. He will be coming in a week, right? Then let us get to know the Princess while we wait for him before we decide. That way, we can be sure that nothing goes wrong."

Rufus thought about his son's suggestion. Zack made a point. He saw no harm in postponing his decision. "Very well, one week," he conceded.

Relief washed over the brothers. They had one week to prepare themselves for their Father's decision. They asked for time, but deep inside, they knew they were asking for trouble.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Aerith was humming her lullaby again as she tended her small garden in the Church. Lately, she felt like she needed her mother more, and the lullaby helped her to feel like Ifalna was there.

Aerith had gone to her flowers to seek comfort in their beauty. It was nearing sunset, and the twilight sky made the flowers look prettier. As she bent on the ground, caressing a flower, she heard footsteps-light and weak.

Aerith turned her head towards the sound, and found a boy standing near the door. His clothes were tattered, as if he came from a fight. He was leaning on the door with his head down. His brown hair was disheveled and dirty. He looked so weak.

The flower girl felt something on her cheek. When she touched her cheek, it was wet. She looked up and saw that the sky had turned darker. Rain was coming. She turned her attention back to the boy.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked as she stood up.

The boy looked up at Aerith with a sad look in his eyes. "I-I don't know," he replied. Suddenly, his head hurt badly. He put his hands on his head, trying to block out the pain. When the pain didn't subside, he screamed out.

Rain started pouring down. The Church's roof was damaged, so water was able to reach them. Aerith ran to the boy and held him. She felt the boy relax a bit, but he was shaking. When she was sure that the boy had calmed down, she bent down and faced him.

"What's your name?"

"Denzel," the boy replied weakly.

Aerith took a good look at him. He was a bit wet from the rain. She felt for his energy, and realized that it was filled with pain. "Denzel, I'll take you home, okay?"

Denzel shook his head as he swayed. He staggered to the floor and almost fell down if Aerith wasn't holding him. "I-" He was getting dizzier. Everything seemed to be fading into darkness. He tried to shake it off, but nothing changed.

"Denzel?"

He tried to raise his head, but he was too weak. He could feel the darkness pulling him deeper. With one last shake of his head, he collapsed in Aerith's arms.

"Oh!" Aerith almost fell back with the sudden weight of the unconscious boy. "My, my," she said, "I'll take you home then."

The rain didn't continue long, but it was already dark when it had stopped. When Aerith was sure that they wouldn't get wet, she carried Denzel behind her back. The boy was heavy, but she could take the weight.

_Let's get you home, Denzel_.

"Dear Heavens, Aerith!" Elmyra exclaimed. "Who are you carrying?" She ran to her daughter and helped her get the boy off. The boy was unconscious as she let him down on the floor. She sat down and lifted his head onto her lap. She stroked the boy's hair, looking for any sign of concussion.

"I found him in the Church," Aerith said. "He was so weak that he fainted. So I took him home."

Marlene stood in the corner with her moogle doll in her arms. She slowly approached Elmyra who was sitting on the floor, holding the boy. She looked at his face. "Who is he?"

Aerith shrugged then said, "He said his name was Denzel." She took marlene's hand. "Mom, we should help him. Right, Marlene?" She bent down to whisper in the little girl's ear, "He could be your playmate."

Marlene smiled as she turned to Aerith. "Uh-huh!" she said as she raised her right hand.

Elmyra chuckled at her daughters then looked at Denzel. Aerith and Marlene waited for their mother's decision. With a sigh, she said, "Alright, alright, we will take him in." Both Aerith and Marlene jumped up and down, obviously happy with the new addition to their household.

"Now now, help me with him," Elmyra said, "Marlene, let's get him cleaned up. Aerith, prepare something warm for the poor boy. He must've been starving."

Aerith nodded then proceeded with her task. She remembered the look on the boy's face as he was unconscious. She was unsure, but she thought she saw Cloud in that boy.

* * *

cLerith raven:

Yay! Finished another one! This one is longer than the others. Hope you like it!

I'd love to hear from you! :)


	6. Chapter 5: Brothers

cLerith raven:

I started with Chapter 5 early, as in right after I posted Chapter 4! Haha. So I haven't read any review or comment. Hope you liked Chap 4 though.

[[EDIT]]

I've read two reviews! Haha. I'm thankful that there are those who still read my fanfic. Thank you for your time!

[[EDIT]]

I replaced the content of this chapter. Sorry. It's just damn hard to mention Cloud's and Zack's mother without a name. And so against all reason, I'm naming her Scarlet. It's just a name, right? I don't think it's that bad, considering Scarlet's role in Before Crisis (I think). Argh. :(

* * *

**Meant To Be**

Chapter 5: Brothers

Cloud stood near the balcony doors overlooking part of the garden. He loved the view from up here, especially the wind blowing in from outside. Zack had told him stories of how much their mother loved the wind, as much as she loved the flowers she grew. Somehow, Aerith reminded him of their mother.

_You miss her, don't you?_

Cloud's eyes widened for a moment at the thought, and then he looked down. _Yeah, maybe I do_. He gazed at the flowers below. There were only a few left-their number was decreasing as time went on. That's because their mother wasn't there to tend to her garden anymore.

_Maybe… she can help?_ Cloud contemplated for a moment. He didn't want the flowers to die because no one could care for them. They were his mother's. He was sure their Father would agree if he suggested Aerith could help them keep them alive. Unconsciously, a small smile appeared on Cloud's face. It would be a great excuse to see the flower girl every day.

But first, he should convince the King that the flowers needed a caretaker, and everything can follow. He could ask the help of Lucrecia to have Aerith come to the Palace. Yes, Lucrecia can definitely help.

Cloud looked at the picture he had of his mother which hung on his wall. He positioned it so that he would see it as soon as he woke up. It helped him feel that his mother was with him, despite the fact that he couldn't remember much about her.

The late Queen had died early of poison because of a leakage from one of the Mako Reactors that surrounded the Empire. Zack had told Cloud how devastated their Father was about it. He hadn't thought that the Mako Reactors which gave the Empire power and advanced technology would be the one to take away his wife, and almost his son. So ever since that day, the Mako Reactors were shut down. But one of the Reactors had exploded, causing a massive spread of the disease. The matter was remedied by Sephiroth-but Rufus did not know how his brother had handled it.

Up to now, remnants of the disease still plague the Empire. It was called the Geostigma. From what Cloud remembers, their Father once told them that only one could get rid of the disease for all time, the power of a Cetra.

Cloud's thoughts were interrupted by a soft, yet firm knocking on the door. He turned to check who it was, and saw his brother Zack leaning on the doorway. His brother had a serious look in his face. This could only mean two things: his brother was thinking of something serious or something bad happened, which seemed highly unlikely.

"Yo," Zack greeted weakly. Cloud continued to stare at his brother. "You thinking of Mom again?" he guessed. He knew his brother well. Cloud would never stand near the balcony is he didn't miss their Mother.

Cloud merely nodded then turned his attention back towards the garden. "The flower," he said in a low voice, "They're slowly withering."

Zack let out a sigh before straightening up. He let his hands drop to his side then walked towards where Cloud stood. "I know," he agreed. "You're worried that they'll all die?" He took a place beside his brother.

"Yeah," Cloud replied. "I-I don't want them to die. They're all that left of Mother's-like her legacy."

Zack patted Cloud's head. "You've been thinking a lot, bro," he said. "We'll figure something out."

Cloud bent hid head a bit. "Aerith can help." When Zack looked at him with a curious look, he continued. "She grows flowers in an abandoned Church in the Slums," he explained. "From what I've seen, they've grown pretty well. She could help Mom's flowers."

Zack thought about Cloud's suggestion. "I'm sure Father would approve," he said. "That's what you were thinking of right? That Aerith could come here?" he teased.

Cloud groaned then swatted his brother's hand away. _Am I that easy to read?_

Zack laughed at Cloud's reaction. To him, it was an affirmation of his hunch. His laughter faded when he noticed Tifa walking in the garden again.

Cloud, wondering why the laughter stopped, peered through the glass as well. When he saw the black-haired guard, he arched an eyebrow at his brother. "Looks like I'm not the only one with something to think about," he said.

"Heh, you got me there," Zack agreed. "There's something about her that intrigues me, Cloud." Cloud waited for him to continue. "I don't know. Maybe it's because she's not like any of the other women I've gone out with."

Cloud understood what his brother meant. Zack was famous among the ladies of the court. They would actually flaunt themselves at him-all because Zack was famous as a 1st Class SOLDIER. Granted that both of them were SOLDIER 1st Class, it was Zack who knew how to handle the women. He, on the other hand, only knew how to ignore them.

"Do you remember our training days?" Zack asked. "We made a promise to one another, right?" He stepped away from the balcony then walked towards the picture of their Mother. "Do you remember the promise?"

Cloud looked back at their past, back to the time when everything was hard for both of them-back when he was just eight years old.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_Cloud was crying in the corner again. Zack could hear him from outside the room. He knew that his little brother would be hiding in his room again after getting hurt from their training. This was where Cloud felt safest because this was where their Mother would always stay to watch over Cloud. He knew because their Mother would always task him with her whenever they slept in Cloud's room._

_When Cloud didn't stop crying after several minutes, Zack didn't hesitate to go in and sit across his brother. Cloud looked up-his eyes were teary and his nose was runny. He was sniffling._

"_Why are you crying here again?" Zack asked. "We still have training."_

"_I don't want to," Cloud replied in between sobs. He was trying hard to stop crying now that Zack was there._

"_Real men don't cry, Cloud," Zack said. He put a hand on his brother's head then messed up his hair. "You're a man, aren't you, Cloud?"_

_Cloud sniffled again then nodded. "I-I am," he replied. He wiped away the tears from his eyes. "Am I really a man, Zack?"_

_Zack bumped his head with Cloud's then let his forehead rest on his brother's. "Remember Cloud, we're the Princes of Midgar. And we'll be part of SOLDIER one day. We should be strong, and not cry, okay?"_

"_Mm," Cloud agreed. "We'll be strong. So we can protect everyone, right?" he asked._

_Zack smiled. "Yep! You're right. So we should train hard, and give it our all. Remember what Father said: We should train so that we'll be strong enough to protect the people that we love."_

"_The people we love?" Cloud asked, tilting his head._

_Zack nodded. "Like Mother and Father. We should protect them."_

"_But," Cloud said, "Mother is not here anymore." He was confused with what his brother was saying. They couldn't protect their Mother anymore. She was gone._

_Zack thought for a moment. "Ah! Then let's protect her memory!"_

"_Mother's memory?" Cloud repeated. "Mm, we will protect her memory."_

"_That's it. So, don't cry anymore okay?" He placed his hand on Cloud's head again._

_Cloud nodded weakly in reply. Zack stood up and was about to leave when Cloud pulled at the hem of his shirt. When Zack turned around, Cloud's head was bent._

"_Zack, what if I can't make it into SOLDIER?" Cloud asked. "What if I can't protect Mother's memory? I'm scared. I'm scared of failing."_

_Zack crossed his arms then shook his head. "You won't fail," he said confidently. He used his thumb to point to himself and said, "I'll be here to help you always, Cloud. I'm your big brother, so I'll always watch over you. So keep your head up."_

"_Do you promise?" the blonde boy asked, his eyes pleading. When Zack nodded, Cloud's expression toughened up. "All right. Let's go back."_

_Zack held out his hand towards his brother. "Let's go, Cloud," he said with a smile._

_Cloud took his brother's hand with an answering smile. "Let's go."_

We'll always be together, right, Zack?

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"We'll always be together," Cloud whispered. "That was our promise."

"Mm," Zack agreed. "We always have, and will be." He touched the frame of their Mother's picture, and then turned around to face his brother. With a confident expression on his face, he pointed to himself using his thumb then said, "I've always got your back. Remember that."

"Thank you," Cloud said. He turned his head towards his brother.

Zack was standing right beside the picture of their mother that hung in his room. The sunlight shone only on part of his brother's face, as well as the picture. Cloud saw how much Zack resembled their Mother.

"Zack, do you remember our Mother?" Cloud asked. "I-I don't remember much about her anymore. It makes me… feel guilty-because I forgot about her."

Zack could feel the heaviness of the thought on Cloud. He had known about the guilt Cloud felt for years now. But he found no way to ease his brother's burden.

Cloud's head hung low, his eyes averted. He had always wondered why his memory of the late Queen of Midgar only comprised of the time when he was ill. He could only remember how much their Mother had cried for him while he lay in his bed, almost dying from a disease, and the lullaby that she had sung to him every night when he couldn't sleep because of the pain.

"Cloud," Zack said, "She loved you very much." He walked to his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder. "She never left your side. I could still remember those days…" His voice softened as he reminisced those hard times.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_Queen Scarlet was singing to Cloud once again-that was what Zack saw as he woke up. He had fallen asleep on their mother's lap again. It had been like this for almost a week now._

_Cloud was groaning in pain again. He was grimacing and his hands were balled in fists. Zack held his brother's hand, hoping to take away some of the pain he felt._

"_Mother, is Cloud hurting?" Zack asked._

_The Queen was startled to find that Zack was already awake. She smiled at Zack then placed her hand on top of Zack's, enclosing both of her sons' little hands inside her own. "I'm sorry you had to sleep here, Zack. Why had you woken up? Were you uncomfortable?"_

_Zack shook his head vigorously. "I heard Cloud groaning. He's hurt, isn't he?" He placed his other hand on Cloud's head, and shook it gently. "There, there, Cloud. You'll be all right." He turned towards their Mother. "He'll be fine, right, Mother?"_

_Scarlet didn't know how to answer her son. Cloud was only a year old, and Zack was five. They were too young for this kind of suffering. "He will be fine, dear," she assured the little Prince._

_Zack seemed satisfied with his mother's answer because he smiled then leaned closer to his brother. "Did you hear that, Cloud? You'll be fine. Mother said so."_

_Scarlet couldn't help the tears that flowed from her eyes. She was touched by Zack's concern for his little brother. She rested her chin on Zack's shoulder as she hugged him tight with her free hand._

_It was not long before the Queen fell asleep on the chair due to weariness. Zack was still wide awake that time, holding his brother's hand. He was watching Cloud as he slept-all the signs of pain were gone. From where he sat, he could see the patches of gray in his brother's left arm, the disease._

_Without warning, Cloud started to wail in anguish as he flailed his arms around. Zack immediately got off of his Mother's lap and climbed onto Cloud's bed. The blonde Prince scratched at the gray patch on his arm, as if he wanted to tear away the flesh. Zack restrained Cloud's arms, afraid that Cloud would wound himself. He felt something greasy on his hands where he held Cloud's left arm-more of that greasy liquid oozed from Cloud's arm, dripping to the bed, tainting it._

_Cloud screamed again in anguish, waking the Queen. She hastily went to Cloud, and found Zack holding his brother's arms down. "Zack, what's happening?" She saw the black liquid covering most of her youngest son's arm. "Not again," she whispered. "Shera! Shera! Bring in towels here now!" she ordered._

_Shera came in after a short moment with towels in hand. Rufus followed behind her, worry evident in his eyes. "Here, My Queen," Shera said as she handed the towels._

"_What's happening?" Rufus asked._

"_Cloud's hurting!" Zack replied in a scream. Scarlet took Zack's hands and lifted them from Cloud's arms._

"_Zack, go to your Father," she said to him. "Rufus hurry and clean Zack's hands before he gets infected too. Hurry, dear!" she requested Rufus._

_Rufus did as his wife said and took Zack to the bathroom. He washed his son's hands in a hurry, desperate to wash the liquid away. When he was sure that nothing was left, he carried Zack back to the room. When they had entered, the screaming had stopped._

"_Shera, call a doctor, now!" he ordered. The woman excused herself from the room and did as she was told._

_Scarlet now held the unconscious Cloud in her lap as she sat down on her chair; one hand on the boy's left arm and the other holding his legs, while her head rested on the boy's hair. She was whispering in his ear._

_Zack ran to the bed as soon as Rufus had set him down on the floor. "How is Cloud?" he asked worriedly._

_The Queen smiled as she held out a hand to Zack, which the boy took eagerly. She pulled him close and embraced him with her free hand. "He's fine, Zack. He's just asleep now."_

_Zack placed his hand on Cloud's head once again. "Get well soon. Okay, Cloud?"_

"_Rufus, help me tuck the boys in," Scarlet requested. She stood up, carrying Cloud in one hand, while her other hand held Zack. She led them to the bed._

_Zack looked at his Father. His hands covered his eyes, evidently trying hard not to cry. "Father," Zack called out softly. Rufus looked at his son, and then nodded, following after his family._

_The Queen lay Cloud down on his bed then tucked him in. "Zack, do you want to sleep beside Cloud?" she asked her son._

_Zack nodded with glee. He jumped onto the bed and positioned himself beside his brother. "Will you sing to us, Mother?" he asked._

_Rufus was the one who tucked Zack in. "Your Mother needs to rest, Zack," he said._

"_No, it's all right, dear," Scarlet said. "I'll sing to our little ones tonight." When Rufus was about to protest, she held up a hand then said, "They need me, Rufus." She walked towards her husband. "They need both of us," she added in a soft voice, almost pleading._

_Rufus sighed then placed his arm around his wife. He kissed her on her temple. "As you wish," he whispered. Scarlet smiled as gratitude then kissed Rufus._

_Zack watched as his parents held each other close, as if asking for support from each other. He turned sidewards, facing his sleeping brother. Under the blankets, he took hold of Cloud's hand. "I'll be here always, Cloud," he whispered. _That's a promise.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Cloud winced as his left arm hurt a little. Images flashed before his eyes for a moment, and then everything was back to normal again. He touched the sleeve that covered his arm. _Geostigma_.

"She was always there, wasn't she?" Cloud asked. He could remember the warm arms that held him all the time and the soft voice that sung him lullabies each night. He might not remember his Mother much, but he remembered what was important.

"She was, for both of us," Zack agreed. "She dedicated herself to taking care of our family that she didn't mind her own needs."

"I remember…" Cloud whispered. A scene played out in his head. "The day she died…"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_Cloud was sitting upright in his bed as Zack helped him eat up. His condition had gotten better, but he was still too weak to chew much, so he was given a warm soup and milk._

"_You should finish this all, all right, Cloud?" Zack said as he handed Cloud the glass of milk. Cloud just nodded then took the milk. He watched his brother finish up the glass before taking it and setting it back on the table._

_Cloud was quiet again. He couldn't speak yet, since he was still only a year old. He was watching the door, waiting for their Mother to come like she always did._

"_Mother's still resting right now," Zack said. "Do you want to go to her room?"_

_Cloud stared at his brother. He seemed to have understood what Zack said, but made no attempt to respond. The next thing they heard were the loud and fast footsteps that approached the room._

_It was Lucrecia, their aunt, who appeared before the door. She was panting and looked like on the brink of tears. "Prince Zack, your Mother…" she said breathlessly. "She's… Oh, God." The woman couldn't continue._

_It was Cloud who reacted first by crying loudly. Zack couldn't understand why his younger brother was acting that way._

"_Come," Lucrecia said. She was about to take Zack's hand but he avoided her._

"_I'm taking Cloud with us!" He carried the crying Cloud on his back. After making sure that Cloud wouldn't fall, he started walking towards their parents' room._

_Lucrecia watched as Zack struggled to carry his brother on his back. She could do nothing but stay behind them, making sure that they wouldn't fall._

_When Zack neared their parents' room, he could hear muffled voices talking. Before entering, he felt the air of despair surrounding everything. Cloud must've felt it to because his crying got louder._

_Rufus heard his son's cry, so he stood up from where he sat and walked towards the door. Sure enough, he found Zack carrying Cloud on his back outside the room. He looked at Lucrecia, who nodded, telling him to let them in._

"_Zack, come in," he said as he led the children inside. "Go to your Mother." He opened the door and let the boys in along with Lucrecia. She guided the boys in then stood beside the window._

_Zack put Cloud down slowly, unsure of what was happening. He saw his Mother lying on the bed looking so weak and fragile. "Is something wrong?" he asked his Father._

_Rufus looked away, unable to look directly into his son's eyes. "Go to her, Zack. Take Cloud with you."_

_Zack did as he was told, leading Cloud by his hand. Cloud's crying got softer as they got closer to the bed where their Mother lay._

_Scarlet turned her head weakly to look at her sons. "Come here, dears," she said weakly. She reached out a weak hand to her sons._

_Zack took her hand and went closer, bringing Cloud with him. "Mother, are you all right? Are you hurting too?"_

_The Queen shook her head. "No, I'm just very tired." She took a deep breath, and then she forced a smile. "Cloud, baby, come."_

_Cloud was sniffing as he rubbed his eyes. He took a step closer, and another, and another, until he was in his Mother's reach. When he looked at her, he saw tears streaming down her face. He touched her face, wiping the tears away. "Mo-ther," Cloud said._

_Scarlet's smile widened. "Your first word. Oh, Cloud!" She pulled him closer and kissed him on the forehead. "Zack, come."_

_Zack slowly stepped forward towards the bed. "I want to help you get better, Mother."_

"_This is fine, dear," the Queen said. She gave Zack a kiss on the forehead too. "I love you both. Remember that." She tried to look towards Rufus, but failed. "Rufus," she called out weakly._

_Rufus immediately went to his wife's side. He sat on the bed and held his wife's hand. "What is it?"_

"_Promise me, you'll take care of them."_

_Without knowing it, a tear fell from Rufus's eyes. "Don't do this." He bent his head in despair. He knew what was coming, but he couldn't accept it._

"_Promise me," Scarlet repeated. "Please, Rufus. I need you to promise me." Her eyes were filled with tears again._

"_I promise."_

_Scarlet smiled then faced her sons again. "Both of you, take care of each other and your Father, all right?" Both Zack and Cloud nodded in reply. Satisfied, she smiled as she closed her eyes. With one last breath, she whispered, "I love you all."_

_Cloud started to cry loudly again and Lucrecia burst into tears. Zack started crying as well and Rufus followed soon. Everyone who was in the room bowed their heads in sadness. Vincent went to Lucrecia and held her. He let the woman weep in his arms as he watched Rufus cry over the death of his wife._

_As the sun came down on Midgar, the Palace was filled with the sounds of mourning._

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Zack and Cloud were quiet as they remembered their Mother's death. It was a while before Zack discovered that their Mother had died due to poison from the Mako Reactor leak. He was always with her, but he wasn't able to see that she was already suffering.

The Queen's health deteriorated with each passing day that she ignored treatments. Rufus was adamant that she let the doctor examine her, but she refused. She wanted to care for Zack and Cloud, who was ill.

It was when Cloud had recovered that she let herself get examined. But it was too late. The poison had spread throughout her system and was beyond treatment, leaving her very weak. The Doctor said it won't be long until the poison claimed her life. And it did.

"Listen, Cloud," Zack said. "I know you feel guilty about not remembering much about our Mother. But it's not your fault; you were only a year old at the time." He put his hands on his waist. "It's actually better that you forgot most about your younger years. There are some things better left forgotten."

"You mean our Grandfather, don't you?" Cloud knew about how much Zack hated their Grandfather. Why, though, he didn't know much. "Why do you despise him so?"

"Cloud, did you know that Father had another sibling? A sister?" Zack asked. "We could've had another aunt."

"I know. Aunt Lucrecia once told me about her," Cloud replied. "What happened to her? What does she have to do with our Grandfather?"

Zack paced about in the room. "She was banished from the Empire by our Grandfather when I was just three. Why? Because she didn't want to do what _he _dictated."

Cloud was surprised. He had known about their aunt, but didn't know that she was banished. "What happened to her? Where is she now?"

Zack shrugged. "We don't know," he replied, "The last we heard, she had married and given birth to a boy."

"What did Father say about it?" He couldn't imagine their Father dismissing the issue.

"He tried looking for her when our Grandfather died, naturally." Zack replied, matter-of-factly.

Cloud could feel that there was something more to their Grandfather than what Zack was telling him. But he didn't want to push the topic. If Zack didn't want to talk about it, then he won't burden his brother. He was sure that his brother had a reason for it.

Zack was about to say something when the door to Cloud's room opened. Vincent appeared before the doorway. "Your Father, and Sephiroth, summons both of you," he said. "They'll be in the War Room," he added.

Zack and Cloud looked at each other before nodding to Vincent. Vincent motioned for them to proceed before him, and so the brothers went ahead first.

Zack put an arm around Cloud's neck as they walked. "You do know what this means, don't you?"

"Yeah," Cloud replied. _A family meeting._

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Elena sat in a chair facing the balcony. The sunlight was just right for her to read her favorite book, 'The Maiden'. Tifa was silently brushing her hair, just like she always did ever since they were young.

"Tifa?" Elena said. She knew she had the woman's attention because she stopped brushing her hair. "Who do you think would be the best choice for a husband? Zack or Cloud?"

Tifa didn't know what to answer the Princess. She didn't want to think about the wedding. "I don't really know how I could choose between them, Princess Elena."

The Princess closed her book then looked towards the two guards sitting not far from the door. Even though they were hiding it, she could feel that they were uneasy about the wedding. She looked around again, looking for face she was familiar with the most.

"Where is Reno? She asked when she couldn't find him.

Tseng shrugged his shoulders while Rude looked away. They were always like this when they were covering up for Reno.

As if on cue, the door burst open and Reno came striding in the room. "Yo!" he greeted. "I heard you were looking for me?"

Tifa shook her head. "Reno, she's still the Princess."

Elena placed her hand above Tifa's. "I'm used to it already Tifa," she said. "I'd like to speak with him for a moment please."

Tseng and Rude immediately complied, but Tifa hesitated. Somehow, Elena was sure Tifa had a hunch about what they were going to speak about.

"Will you be all right?" Tifa asked in a whisper. She considered Elena as a dear friend, even like a sister. They had grown up together, albeit Tifa was a bit older. That was why the thought of the Princess marrying a complete stranger to her was a bad idea.

Elena nodded her reply. Tifa sighed then slowly walked away. She took one last look over her shoulder before the doors were closed.

_I'd have to find out who'd fit her_, Tifa thought. With a new resolve, she headed out to find the Princes. _Who should I pick first?_ Unconsciously, she knew exactly who she wanted to talk to first.

"Reno, sit down," Elena said. She offered the chair opposite hers. "I've been meaning to talk to you."

Reno didn't take a seat but leaned on the wall instead. His head was turned away, obviously not wanting to make eye contact with the Princess. "Your Highness," he said, "If it's about your so-called wedding, better not." There was a tinge of bitterness in his voice, and it was obvious he didn't want to conceal it.

Elena sighed. "Reno, you know you don't have to act that way with me." The man scoffed. "Look at me. Tell me what's wrong."

"Everything, Elena." This time, he did look at her. "Why did it have to be you?"

Elena understood what Reno was asking. "It is my duty, Reno," she replied simply. "Does it bother you that much? That I would be marrying one of the Princes?"

Reno put both his hands in his pocket then walked towards the balcony. "Did you have to ask?"

"Reno, I'm not used to you acting so serious," Elena said. "Sit down, please."

Reno sighed then took a seat across Elena. "What do you want from me? You know this isn't easy."

"I know." Elena fidgeted with her hands, something she always did when she was nervous.

Reno saw her fidgeting, so he took her hands in his. He then kissed her hands then slowly let go. He stood up then walked towards the door. "You were fidgeting again," he explained when Elena looked confused about his actions. "Don't worry. I'll be back to my old self." He turned his back on her. "I hope," he added in a whisper.

Elena abruptly stood up, wanting to stop Reno from leaving. "Reno, I'm sorry."

Reno looked over his shoulder, a smile plastered on his face. "Don't apologize," he said in a playful tone. He was forcing himself to return to his usual playfulness. "Just make sure you don't annoy the hell out of those Princes. I know how stubborn you could get."

Elena smiled at his words. "I won't."

"And those Princes better make sure that you'll never cry. I'll kick their asses off the floor," he added. Elena chuckled a bit. "I'm off." He gave a small salute before closing the door.

"That's not what I wanted you to say," Elena whispered as a tear fell from her eye.

Outside the door, Reno covered his eyes with his arms. "Damn it, Reno. Damn you."

Unknown to him, he was being watched by a pair of brown eyes.

_Could it be?_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Aerith was watering the flowers on her windowsill when she heard Denzel groaning. When she turned around to check up on the boy, he was already sitting upright. His hands were on his forehead and pained expression was on his face.

"Are you all right?" Aerith asked worriedly.

Denzel was startled to hear the soft voice. He was expecting to wake up in in a cold, wet place. But instead, he found himself in a comfortable and warm, not to mention fluffy, bed.

"Where am I?" He groaned again; his head was hurting. When he touched his forehead the second time, hid hand was stained with the same black greasy liquid he had come to get accustomed with. He was about to rub his hands on the blanket when he remembered that this wasn't his. He looked for the owner of the voice he heard a while ago, and saw a woman standing near the windows. The light seemed to give off a soft glow to her.

"Hello, Denzel," Aerith greeted the boy. "You told me your name yesterday, before you fainted," she added. She walked towards Denzel and saw the stain in his hand. She had heard of it-Geostigma. This was the first time she has seen someone with the disease in person.

Denzel was expecting the typical reaction people had towards those with Geostigma. _A plague. A curse. An outcast._ He was astounded when the woman sat beside him on the bed and wiped away the stain using a small towel. He remained quiet as she wiped the last evidence of the stain on his hand.

"Thank you," he murmured. He was unsure of how he would act or what he should say. "Where am I?" He looked around. He was obviously in a female's room. It was evident in how the room was decorated, especially the curtains and bed sheet. This must be the woman's room.

Aerith smiled her usual warm smile. "My room." She then turned her attention on the mark on the boy's forhead. His hair was messy; he had bangs that covered the gray patch. She lifted his bangs up, inspecting his Geostigma.

Denzel panicked and immediately backed away from Aerith, almost falling to the side.

"Whoa!" Aerith managed to catch Denzel by the waist before the boy completely fell over. "This is the second time I've had to catch you," she said.

"Sorry," the boy whispered. He remembered her. She was the woman in the Church where he went. The last thing he could remember was telling her his name before everything went black.

Aerith helped Denzel up then sat up straight as well. "I'm Aerith. Do you remember me?" Denzel nodded. "So, what happened to you? Why were you alone? Where were your parents?"

"They're gone," the boy murmured.

His voice was so low that Aerith almost didn't hear it. "How long have you been alone, Denzel?" She couldn't imagine how the boy was able to manage being alone for a long time.

"T-Three years," Denzel replied as he bent his head. He wanted to forget about the incident that happened years ago. It would hurt too much.

He barely got by during the first year that he was alone-nightmares always haunted him every night. He could stand the nightmares, but not the pain that came with them every time. He closed his eyes, as if it would help the memories go away.

Slowly, memories of his past flashed inside his mind. The doors that he thought he had closed shut was now creaking open. Fire-it was everywhere he looked. Smoke hung above like an umbrella, enveloping the whole Sector. The Sector had been attacked, leaving people running and screaming in panic.

He could hear the faint voice of his mother, yelling out to him, telling him to run. He wanted to find her, but he couldn't see anything beyond the dark smoke. He searched for his father, but he was nowhere to be seen as well.

Denzel wanted to scream, but no voice came out. The air was suffocating him, threatening to take him with the fire. He tried screaming again, with all his might. But his head began to throb. He pressed his hands to his head as his vision blurred.

He heard himself groan, albeit just a little. His vision seemed to be faltering. Images jumped from the flashes of fire, to the face of the woman sitting in front of him. He wasn't sure where he was-the dream or the reality.

Aerith anxiously watched as the boy wavered. He seemed to be in pain again. His hand had turned white with pressure. When the boy screamed, he took his hand in hers.

"It's all right, Denzel," she said. "Everything's all right."

Someone was soothing him. It was the same voice he had heard earlier-the woman, Aerith. He used that voice to bring himself back to reality, away from the darkness of his past.

Denzel could feel himself leaving his dark memories behind. He mentally closed the door again and made sure to shut it tighter this time. He would not go back to being the same as he was three years ago.

Denzel opened his eyes and saw someone holding his hand. When he looked up, he saw Aerith, a worried look on her face.

"Are you okay now?"

"Mm," he replied with a nod.

Someone knocked on the door softly, and then it opened. Marlene peered inside hesitantly. "Aerith, Mom says to feed him."

When the door was fully opened, Aerith saw that the little girl had a tray of food with her, probably the lunch she had prepared earlier. She stood up and helped the girl with the tray.

When the tray was out of her hands, Marlene skipped towards the bed. "Hello!" she greeted Denzel. "I'm Marlene."

"I'm Denzel."

Marlene smiled, happy to get a reply. "You should eat up now. You must be hungry."

Aerith smiled at her sister then lay the tray down on the bedside table. "Here, eat up."

Denzel hesitated. They were kind, too kind for someone like him. He had been used to being scorned by people because of his Geostigma. They were afraid of him and avoided just the slightest touch.

"Denzel, don't you like to eat?" Marlene asked.

Denzel immediately shook his head. It wasn't that he didn't like to eat; on the contrary, he was starving. But he was too embarrassed to indulge. "I-I…" He couldn't think of anything else to say, so he just started eating slowly. He wouldn't want to seem like an ungrateful boy.

Marlene looked towards Aerith, wondering why Denzel seemed too detached. Aerith just smiled at her then shook her head, indicating that they should leave him alone for a while.

"Aerith!" Elmyra called out from the first floor. "Come, Aerith! Marlene! Quick!"

That was the first time Aerith had ever heard Elmyra sound so excited ever since the war had started. She looked at Denzel who was still eating, then at Marlene who looked puzzled.

"I'll go first, Aerith," Marlene said. "See you later, Denzel. Let's play later. okay?" She waited for the boy to nod before she left the room.

Aerith smiled at Denzel then followed after the girl. "I'll be back to fetch the tray, and to check up on you. Eat well," she added before closing the door.

"Aerith, hurry!" Now, it was Marlene who was calling to her.

_What could it be?_ She hurriedly went down the stairs and ran to the living room. She almost tripped on the rug on the way. Whatever her mother and sister were excited about, she was getting anxious.

Aerith had just gone in the living room when she saw who was standing by the door. She gasped as she stared at the man she had longed to see so much.

"Genesis," she said breathlessly. She couldn't stop the tears that fell from her eyes. Her hands were shaking as she put them over her mouth. "Is it really you?"

Genesis smiled then shook his head. He pressed his hand on his eyes then tsked. "I can't believe my own sister doesn't recognize me," he said, sounding hurt. "And I helped raised you for thirteen years."

Aerith couldn't help herself from running to her brother. How she missed him. She opened her arms and jumped the last few inches to hug her brother.

"Oof!" Genesis caught his sister as she crashed into him. "My, you've gotten stronger a bit." He returned the hug his sister was giving him.

"You're back," she exclaimed. "You're really, really back."

Genesis smiled at Elmyra who was watching with teary eyes. She was still crying, evidently happy to see that he was okay. He knew that they were worried. He had been very busy with his assignment that he was unable to write a letter to them for a long time.

His gaze landed on the little girl hiding behind his mother. He had heard Elmyra call her Marlene a while ago. She must be the daughter of their late General Dyne. She sure has grown-last time he saw her she was still in her diapers.

When Aerith and Genesis parted, Aerith's face was wet with tears. He chuckled then began wiping her tears away.

"Geez, after all these years, you're still a crybaby, Aerith," he commented. That earned him a smack in his arm and he laughed. "You know you can't hurt me."

Aerith smacked him again. "You made us worry!" she accused. "We haven't heard from you for a long time, then you say that when you get home." She stomped her foot then turned around, faking a tantrum.

"Tsk tsk," Genesis said, "It seems that my Princess is mad at me." He put his hand on Aerith's head and tousled her hair a bit. "You've grown," he noticed.

Aerith's heart melted with how Genesis called her 'his Princess'. She hadn't heard that for so long. She couldn't help but give in. Defeated, she sighed.

"I know what that sigh means," Genesis said. "I missed you, Aerith. I missed everyone."

"Oh, Genesis!" Elmyra walked towards her son and embraced him again. She had been so surprised when she saw him standing behind the door. The shock had overwhelmed her that she could only call both Aerith and Marlene.

"Mom, not you too; why are you crying?" Genesis rubbed his mother's back, soothing her. He could see Marlene standing still behind Elmyra, obviously too shy to come near him. She didn't know him much after all.

Elmyra ended their embrace and turned to Marlene. "Come here, baby," She called to the girl.

Marlene slowly stepped towards Elmyra. She held the woman's hand as she looked up at the brown-haired man in front of her.

Genesis bent down to placed a hand on the girl's arm. "You're Marlene right? You're General Dyne's daughter."

Marlene nodded. "You know my father?" She had a cute voice. It was a bit similar to Aerith's when she was Marlene's age.

"Yes, we fought together during the war," he replied. "He always talked about you."

Genesis must have said the right thing because Marlene smiled. He could see that she was happy to hear that her father had talked about her. He saw the girl squeeze Elmyra's hand.

"It's all right, dear," Elmyra said softly. She pushed at Marlene softly towards Genesis.

When Genesis smiled, Marlene hugged him. It was a long time ago since he had last hugged Aerith as a little girl. He suddenly missed those times.

Aerith wiped the tear on her cheek as she smiled. "Welcome back, brother."

Genesis stood up, his hand still holding Marlene's. "I'm back," he said. "No, I'm home." He looked at the faces he hadn't seen for so long.

"Yes, you're home," Aerith agreed.

"Welcome home," the three chorused.

_It feels good to be home at last_, Genesis thought as he smiled.

* * *

cLerith raven:

Another chapter finished! *clap clap*

I hope you like this one! It's long again. Haha!

As usual, I'd like to hear your reviews!

*dances*


	7. Chapter 6: A Mother's Blessing

cLerith raven:

I replaced the content of Chapter 5: Brothers. Don't worry, for those who have read Chapter 5, I just named the Queen of Midgar; and I chose Scarlet. Why? Because she's connected to Shinra and I happen to like the color. :D I've said that this was chosen against all reason. I do hope the name won't bother anyone who knows Scarlet's role in Before Crisis (I think?)

Anyways, I'm happy that I've managed to update sooner than I thought for the past chapters. I hope this would continue. Thank you to the readers!

* * *

**Meant To Be**

Chapter 6: A Mother's Blessing

Rufus stood facing the windows as Sephiroth sat quietly in his place in the Conference Table. The latter was the right-hand man of the King after all. Lucrecia sat on the other side, Scarlet's chair. As the former was the Queen's sister, she was chosen to fill in her role as one of Rufus's advisors, well, only when it came to matters about Cloud and Zack of course.

They were all waiting for the Princes to arrive with Vincent to discuss the matters at hand with Sephiroth and Lucrecia's investigations and research from Gongaga at Kalm.

"Brother, must we really wait for Cloud and Zack?" Spehiroth asked, seemingly bored. He had advised Rufus against his decision to include his sons in the search for the last Cetra. "Let us start; they could catch up later."

Rufus sighed. Sephiroth was impatient as always. He had inherited the trait from his mother. Sometimes, he was thankful that he had a different mother. Sephiroth could be… difficult at times. That had put a strain on their relationship as half-brothers when they were kids. Thankfully, it seems that they could get along well as adults.

"Sephiroth, it's better to hear their opinion about this," Rufus said, "Especially Zack's."

"As you wish," Sephiroth said. "But the longer we wait, the more time is wasted. We could be starting the search by now."

"Sephiroth," Lucrecia called to him, "Why is it that you seem so eager about this?"

Sephiroth scoffed and ignored the question. Of course Lucrecia would notice. She was always on the side of the boys, just like their Mother. She had been a pain on his side when he was trying to convince Rufus to make Zack train as early as five years old.

It was a while before Vincent strode inside the War Room with the Princes following behind him. He looked at Lucrecia, who smiled at him, before bowing down then making way for the Princes.

Cloud and Zack presented themselves to the King before taking their places. Zack was seated beside Sephiroth while Cloud was beside Lucrecia. They waited for Rufus to take his seat as the Head of the meeting.

"Father," Zack began, "What's our agenda?" He put his hands together and placed them on the table.

Rufus cleared his throat then turned to Vincent. "The files, please," he asked.

Vincent nodded then brought out a folder out of his cape and handed it to the King. Cloud always thought it looked like a magic trick. He had grown up seeing Vincent pull different things that his father had asked for from under his cape. And as Cloud looked at Zack, he knew that his brother was thinking of the same thing.

"Vincent, are the files for Kalm in a different folder? I can't seem to find them here."

Vincent held his cape upward. Zack chuckled when Vincent pulled out another folder from under his cape. It was Lucrecia who scowled at her nephew. Rufus looked at Zack then proceeded to read the contents of the folder.

Cloud gave his brother a questioning look. When Zack just shrugged, he shook his head with a small smile on his face. He looked at Vincent, just to check on him. As usual, Vincent was still as a stone. His red eyes were steadily watching everyone in the room. But it seemed his eyes would linger longer on the only woman present in the room-or was it just Cloud's imagination?

"Rufus," Sephiroth said, "Shall I start explaining the research we've conducted?"

Rufus stopped reading then closed the folder. "We will start with Gongaga, so Lucrecia will be the first to do the explaining to Cloud and Zack."

Lucrecia pulled out her glasses then opened the folder she had on the table. She pulled out two sets of papers from the folder and handed one to each of her nephews. "These are reports from our research in Gongaga and Kalm."

"Aunt Lucrecia, what exactly is the research about?" Cloud asked. He started shuffling through the papers, and then read the title page again. 'Power of the Cetras', it said. "What is a cetra?"

"Cloud, Zack called to his brother, "Long ago, there was once a powerful race of mages who could communicate with the Planet. They were the Cetras, or most commonly known as the Ancients."

"But, they aren't here anymore, are they?" Cloud guessed.

Zack looked to Rufus before answering his brother's question. This had been a delicate topic for them years ago. His Father's permission to continue was crucial.

"Cloud, it was my Father who had annihilated the entire race of the Cetras," Rufus said.

Cloud's eyes widened. He hadn't heard of that before. When he looked at Zack, he could see that his jaw was clenched. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lucrecia bow her head and fidget. Sephiroth didn't seem to be affected though.

"But," Lucrecia said, "We have heard that one had survived-the Princess. We have what little we know of her in page 5 of our report."

"And you're looking for her." Cloud stared at the page his aunt had mentioned. It did have little information. "No picture and no name-how will you find her?"

Rufus indicated for Lucrecia to speak. The latter nodded.

"We only know that she was only a year old when she disappeared." She flipped a page, two. "She disappeared when Zack was five, and you, Cloud, were the same age as she was."

Zack was already pages ahead, carefully reading each line. "From what I've read," he began, "this Princess vanished near the end of the war our Empire had against their Kingdom, nearly a year. What proof do we have that she survived the purge my grandfather had done?"

"Ifalna," Rufus answered. "She was the Queen of the Ancients, the mother of the Princess, and a former friend."

Cloud and Zack looked at their Father. It seems that there were so much that they didn't know.

"And you, Zack, knew the Princess," Lucrecia added. To this, both Princes had expressions of surprise on their faces. "The Princess was never permitted to go out much because of the war. But Rufus, being friends with Ifalna, had been secretly meeting with them."

Rufus was suddenly uncomfortable with the topic-he stood up, and went to the windows once again.

"Rufus? Shall I-?"

"It's all right, Lucrecia. I'll continue."

Zack stood from where he sat and walked to his Father. "I don't understand any of this. I don't remember any Cetran Princess that I ever met. And I don't think Cloud would remember anything about her too since they were of the same age."

"Ifalna and I were childhood friends, Zack. That was before my Father got greedy for power. When the war had started, Ifalna was the Queen and my Father, who believe she was weak, launched an assault to take over their Kingdom." Rufus faced Zack and stared into his eyes. "We remained friends even during the war. We met secretly, discussing ways on how to end the war peacefully. But, Father didn't want peace; he wanted Power."

"What happened? How come Zack knew the Princess?" Cloud asked.

"I always took Zack with me whenever Ifalna and I met. Our meetings were always held in their Palace. Somehow, during one of our meetings, Zack managed to meet Ifalna's daughter. We went home with him carrying one of her earrings."

"It could have been any girl's earrings," Zack argued.

"Ifalna confirmed it to be her daughter's the next time we visited. And that visit, was the last."

Cloud sensed the sadness in his Father's voice. He could tell that nothing would follow his Father's story.

When Rufus didn't continue, Lucrecia cleared her throat. "We only know that Ifalna's daughter always had a nurse-maid, being only a year old. That nurse-maid was handpicked by Ifalna herself, but she was not a Cetra. We tracked her family in Gongaga, and decided to see if we could find something pertaining to her from her family. Unfortunately, only her brother was alive. He said that they never saw her sister again after she went to work for Ifalna's court."

"It seems that you suspect that it was the servant who took the Princess away," Cloud said.

Lucrecia nodded. "After a year and a half of searching in Gongaga, we received reports of a woman and a female child who stayed in Kalm for a year. We have reason to believe it was them."

"This is where my report comes in," Sephiroth interjected. "I'll take it from here, Lucrecia."

"Proceed, Spehiroth." Rufus returned to his seat, and so did Zack.

"I petitioned to transfer our team to Kalm in hopes of better results. We stayed there for almost three years, but uncovered little as well. We have reason to believe that it was the servant and the Princess who occupied a small apartment in Kalm."

"What made you think that it was them?" Zack asked.

"The woman was described to be aloof and reserved. Some even went as far as to say that she seemed vigilant. She claimed that the child with her was her daughter, but witnesses say that the child looked nothing like the woman."

"So basically," Zack started, "They stood out from the villagers of Kalm."

"Correct, Young Prince," Sephiroth commented with a grin. "As I've said, we uncovered little information about them. What picked our interest was this," Sephiroth tapped a certain paragraph from page 14.

He read the paragraph contained in the page. "It would seem that after a year of staying in Kalm, the woman and child was reported missing after a routine inspection of SOLDIERs in Kalm. Some of the villagers claim that they saw figures running out of the village that night. Our team speculates those figures to be the woman and the child, running away from the SOLDIERs in fear of being caught." He paused then lowered the report. He was looking at Cloud who seemed to have spaced out.

"Cloud?" Zack whispered. "Hey, you okay?"

Cloud seemed to have been deep in thought. His head snapped up when Zack kicked him lightly on his feet from under the table.

"You all right?" Zack asked.

Cloud didn't reply so Sephiroth continued what he was reading.

"Witnesses claim that the SOLDIERs were ordered to fire on the accusation of the targets being thieves. A SOLDIER claimed to have been able to shot the one, and it was believed to be the woman."

"So the woman was shot?" Cloud asked. "What about the girl?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "We don't know what happened to them after that. But three years of research in Kalm did give us a better description of the girl."

Cloud was reading the description Sephiroth was talking about. He was taken aback. He didn't know why, but the description was very familiar to him.

"Hmm, a little girl with brown hair tied in a braid. Eye color is green. Voice described as 'angelic'," Zack said. "That narrows it down. Let's see…" He pretended to think. "Oh yes, almost half of the women in the Planet are brunettes. Oh, and most of them would have green eyes. And about a hundred would be of the same age as Cloud. So we have… a hundred women to ask, 'Hey, are you the only Cetra alive?' Then we wait to see if her voice is 'angelic' when she replies. Yep, that's enough." His tone had ever bit of sarcasm in it. He was evidently angry.

Rufus let out an exasperated sigh. "Zack-"

"No, Father," Zack stood up. "This is impossible. We don't even know if the woman who took her had survived. If not, then that little girl who was probably only two years old," he winced, "may not have survived."

"Zack, sit down," Lucrecia pleaded. "We asked for you here to get your cooperation with this. We think that it would be you who'll recognize the Princess when you see her."

"I told you I don't remember any girl from my past!" He slammed his hands on the table. He felt so agitated. He couldn't think of the little girl, all alone and striving to live.

"Zack, we could always find ways of accessing your memories to get a better image of what the Princess really looked like. It would narrow our search," Sephiroth suggested.

Zack glared at his uncle. How could he think of it? Access his memories-his brain?

"Zack, it is imperative that we find her," Rufus said calmly.

Cloud held the paper tightly. He did not understand why his father would go through all the trouble of finding someone who they barely knew. "Why, Father?" All eyes turned to him then. "Why do you need to find the Princess?"

"It was my Father who is responsible for the Princess to be alone, and I, being his son, feel responsible for finding her, to atone for my Father's crimes."

Cloud stood up abruptly, knocking his chair backwards. "I don't think it will be that simple, Father." He walked towards the doors. He felt like he was suffocating. He had to get away from the room. "It's too late now; she's all alone," he said before slamming the door shut.

"Cloud!" Zack started to follow after his brother but Lucrecia stopped him.

"I'll go," she volunteered. "You stay here and talk strategies with Rufus and Sephiroth. I was only to report on Gongaga, anyway." With that, she excused herself and went out of the room. She looked at Vincent and gave him a smile before disappearing at the door.

Cloud's footsteps were heavy as he walked to-wait, where was he headed? He stopped. _Stupid!_ He slapped himself in the forehead before leaning against the wall.

_Why are you so angry, Cloud?_

Lucrecia caught up to her nephew and saw him leaning against the wall, obviously confused. She sighed then slowly walked towards him.

"You know," Lucrecia called to him. She waited until Cloud was looking at her before she leaned against the wall beside him then said, "If you want to slip away again, now's a good time." She smiled.

"Are you actually telling me to leave?" Lucrecia giggled. "Where would I go?"

"Hmm." Lucrecia took a piece of paper from her pocket. She handed it to Cloud then said, "Ask her."

Cloud tilted his head in wonder but he still took the paper from Lucrecia's hand. It had a phone number in it. "Whose is this?"

Lucrecia patted him on the shoulder then stood straight and started to walk. "The number belongs to a flower girl I know," she teased as she walked away. "You'll like her," she added with a wave of her hand.

_I already do._

Cloud looked at the number for a few more seconds before pulling his cellphone from his pocket. His hands were trembling as he dialed the number on the paper.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Aerith was greeting customers at the bar when her cellphone began to ring. When she looked at the screen, it was an unregistered number.

"Yuffie," she called out to her friend, "Could you take my place for a bit?"

Yuffie nodded and quickly relieved Aerith from her work. "Your shift's ending in about 30 minutes," she reminded her friend.

Aerith smiled then nodded. She hurriedly ran outside then answered the call. "Hello?"

It took Cloud seconds before managing to reply. "H-Hi," he said. "Aerith, it's me, Cloud."

Aerith was surprised. She didn't know that Cloud had her number. "Prince Cloud, you called."

"Uh, yeah." Cloud thought of what he was supposed to say next.

"Do you need anything?"

"I-I just…" _I want to see you._

Aerith waited for Cloud to continue. She could tell from his voice that something was bothering him. She thought of a way to cheer him up somehow.

"Prince Cloud, do you… Can I ask you a favor?"

Cloud sighed. "Y-Yeah. Sure."

The flower girl smiled. "I'm going over to the Church in a little while, after my shift ends at the Inn. Can you meet me there?"

Cloud felt grateful for the chance to see Aerith. Of course, he couldn't say that to her aloud. "Mm, I will."

"Great! I'll be there in 30 minutes," she said cheerfully. "Oh, and Prince Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't be late." With that, she shut her phone. She held her phone close to her chest before she ran back inside.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Cloud was still staring at his phone moments after he had shut it. He could not believe what had happened. He called Aerith to-wait, what did he call the flower girl for? He was supposed to ask Aerith to meet him, but he ended up speechless and the lady had to invite him out.

The thought brought a smile to his face. Aerith must've sensed his agitation. It brought him relief to know that Aerith understood without him saying it upfront.

_I'll be there in 30 minutes… Don't be late…_

Her words echoed in his head. He suddenly looked at the wall clock that hung above the window in the corridor. 10 minutes had passed since the call.

Cloud ran to his bike, Fenrir. Thankfully, he would get to the Church in time if he drove to it. He revved the engine and signaled the guards to open the gates. With a smile in his face, he sped away.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Genesis walked in the bar, looking for Aerith. He was taken aback when his sister crashed into him.

"Ow!" Aerith rubbed her fore head. "I'm sor-Genesis!"

"Why're you in such a hurry?" Genesis asked.

"I'm supposed to meet Prince Cloud in the Church," the flower girl answered as she stepped aside and walked outside.

Genesis immediately followed after Aerith. He caught her arm and turned her around. "Are you serious? You should be avoiding him, and every member of the Royal Family."

Aerith smiled in a way that said she already knew what his brother said. "I'll be fine. He doesn't know."

"Aerith, you know how dangerous that could be. They're looking for you," Genesis said. He was very worried about the safety of his sister. His mother had raised her ever since she was two. He had helped Elmyra take care of Aerith when he had turned twelve. Aerith was still seven years old back then.

"I know what I'm doing, Genesis," Aerith said as she held her brother's hand. "Trust me."

Genesis slowly let go of Aerith's hand. His sister gave him a peck on the cheek then turned to run towards the direction of the abandoned Church. As he watched her sister disappear in the corner, he felt his heart grow heavier with worry.

_I have to make sure…_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Cloud watched Aerith as she tended her flowers. She was humming the same song that he heard her hum days ago in the kitchen of their home. He could see how happy the flower girl was in her garden-she looked radiant. The smile Aerith had on her face was different than her usual smiles. Her green eyes glimmered as the sunlight hit her face. And her brown hair, tied in a braid, hung loosely at her back.

_Brown hair in a braid… Green eyes…_

Cloud shook his head at his thoughts. No, he wouldn't think about it. He would _not_-but what if? He felt agitated once again.

Aerith paused and stopped humming. She could feel waves of agitation coming from Cloud. She looked at him, and surely, he looked agitated as he stared at his own feet. Slowly, she stood up and walked to him.

Cloud was startled to feel a warm hand on his arm-his afflicted arm; he flinched.

"Prince Cloud?"

Cloud looked at Aerith. Her eyes were filled with concern. "Hmm?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied.

Aerith tsked then stood beside Cloud. "You know, if you feel troubled, the rain can help," she said, almost childlike.

Cloud chuckled softly-she seemed so innocent. "I don't think it would rain anytime soon."

It was Aerith's turn to chuckle, albeit louder than Cloud's. "Look," she said.

Cloud did look. Aerith did a pirouette towards the flowers. When she stopped, she was in the middle of her flower garden. She smiled then began to sing.

Aerith sang the song her mother had taught her when she had wanted it to rain on the flowers that they were growing. She remembered how it talked about the sun and the rain, working together to help the flowers bloom. She remembered the seasons-spring, summer, fall and winter-each had its own kind of flower at bloom.

Cloud was pulled in deep in Aerith's voice as she sang. She looked even more radiant as she bathed in sunlight and with her flowers surrounding her. Slowly, her voice began to fade as her song ended.

Aerith put her hands together and prayed, "Let the rain pour over this troubled land."

Cloud could swear that he saw energy flow from her fingertips and vanish in the air. But it happened so fast, and the energy was very minimal, that he wasn't sure it was real. He blinked.

Aerith opened her hands and began to trace a circle in front of her repeatedly, her finger pointing downwards. She seemed like a child playing.

Cloud watched in wonder. He couldn't see why Aerith was tracing circles, not until he saw a pool of water slowly gather at her feet.

Aerith stopped. She bent down and scooped a handful of water in her hands. She smiled, and then threw the water in the air. She looked up as the droplets hit her face. She put her hands in the water and started singing again. Slowly, she stood up, her hands tracing intricate circles upward.

Cloud's eyes widened as the water flowed upward in a circular pattern, following the pattern the flower girl traced. His mouth was agape even as Aerith raised her hands in the air and the water spread above them.

The flower girl looked at Cloud and giggled at his expression. "This is the Great Gospel," she said proudly.

Cloud stared in awe at Aerith. It seemed like she was just playing with the water. Suddenly, he felt a drop of water touch his face. He looke dup-it was starting to rain.

"Shouldn't we find shelter from the rain?" Cloud asked.

Aerith shook her head. "I told you, the rain helps when you feel troubled." She stretched out her hand. "Come."

Cloud nodded then walked to Aerith and held her hand. Aerith took his other hand and smiled.

"Follow me," she whispered. She looked up as she closed her eyes. She looked like she was enjoying the rain.

Cloud narrowed his eyes for a moment, contemplating if he should do as the flower girl did, or not. In the end, he did. He closed his eyes then looked up, feeling the raindrops on his face.

"Don't think, Cloud. Just feel."

"Mm," Cloud agreed. He slowly let his thoughts drift away. Surprisingly, he felt better, lighter.

They stayed like that for what seemed like hours. Cloud was savoring the feel of the rain on his face, not to mention that he was also enjoying holding Aerith's hands.

Aerith slowly opened her eyes then looked at Cloud. She was surprised to see a small smile on his mouth. He looked… peacefully happy. She let the spell disperse.

"Feel better now, Prince Cloud?"

Cloud felt the rain stop. He opened his eyes and looked at Aerith. She was looking back at him, more like she had been looking at him. He smiled.

"That's better." Aerith slowly let go of Cloud's hand.

As if in reflex, Cloud held onto Aerith. She looked at him, confusion in her face.

"L-Let me hold you like this, just for a while, even for a little while," he whispered. He was relieved when Aerith smiled in reply.

"Do you need anything else? You culdn't have called me just for company now, did you?" Aerith's tone was a bit playful. She tilted her head a bit.

Cloud remembered the favor he had wanted to ask of Aerith. But, his heart felt heavy. From what he saw Aerith do earlier, he could not ignore the suspicion he had at the back of his mind. If he was right, he might cause his flower girl pain.

_His? Damn. She's not yours, Cloud!_ He mentally kicked himself.

"Prince Cloud, I know something's bothering you. Come on," she coaxed the Prince.

"M-my Mother's flowers," Cloud began.

"Hmm? What about them?" Aerith remembered how the townspeople would talk about the late Queen's flowers. She felt happy that someone other than her was able to grow flowers.

"They're dying…"

Aerith gasped. "Isn't there anyone taking care of them?"

Cloud bent his head. "I don't know," he admitted. "I guess… no one else can take care of her flowers like she did…"

"Hmm-"

"No one, except you."

Aerith understood. "I'll be happy to help, Cloud."

Cloud was immediately at ease. He hadn't realized that he had been worried that Aerith might not accept. He should've known better. Aerith would never turn down anyone who needed her help.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Aerith?" Genesis stepped inside the Church. He had followed his sister, wanting to make sure that she would be safe. He kept quiet as Aerith perform Great Gospel, and would have left quietly as well-if not for Cloud's offer.

"Genesis! What are you doing here?" Color crept up her cheeks. She felt like a teenager who was caught in a tryst.

Cloud looked at the man Aerith called Genesis. She seemed shy around him. It took him a moment before he recognized the man. It was the same man who was in the picture Aerith had in her room.

Genesis bowed down before Cloud, not forgetting that it was his family that he served. "Prince Cloud, I'm Genesis Gainsborough, Aerith's brother."

Cloud nodded. "So I've heard."

Aerith felt the tension between the two men. She sighed and shook her head. "Genesis, could you watch over Cloud while I buy us all some drinks?"

Genesis and Cloud were about to protest but Aerith was already waving goodbye as she walked right past her brother.

"Oh, and Prince Cloud," she added, "Make sure my brother doesn't ruin the flowers."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Genesis had an irritated look on his face. "Tsk. That girl hasn't changed one bit."

The Prince walked towards Genesis and held out his hand. "Pleasure meeting you."

Genesis took his hand. "Same here," he said. "With all due respect, Prince Cloud," he began. "I can't allow Aerith near the Palace." _Her secret's at stake._

"She's special, isn't she?" Cloud was slowly opening his mind to the possibility he kept ignoring since the meeting.

_Does he know?_ "She has… a unique talent," he agreed. "I fear that it would put her at risk if she were to be seen in the Palace."

"She will be kept safe, I promise you that."

"Her safety's out of the question. I just don't see the need for her presence in the Palace."

Cloud could see that Genesis won't budge on the topic. "You know that won't stop Aerith. She wants to help." _She wants to help me._

Genesis swore. "You do not understand the gravity of this situation, Prince Cloud."

"Those flowers," Cloud whispered, "They're the only thing my family has left of our Mother. If there was another way, I wouldn't ask this of her."

_Liar. You'd still ask her. Selfish idiot._ He mentally kicked himself again. There was truth to it. He had wanted to see her, even be with her.

Genesis was taken aback. He had heard the exchange his sister had with Cloud. Now he was sure-Aerith was decided. He sighed, defeated.

"Prince Cloud, I'll hold you responsible if anything happens to my sister," he said.

Cloud nodded then bowed down. "I'll protect her," he promised.

"Thank you, Prince Cloud."

Cloud straightened up. He would protect Aerith. He must. It was the only way the flower girl can be by his side.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Elena and Tifa were watching Zack spar with Tseng on the battle arena. They had agreed to use their bare hands and not swords. As it was Tseng's expertise, it was impressive that Zack was able to match his opponent.

"Not bad, Prince Zack," Tseng said. He was breathless from all the punching he had been doing.

"You're not so bad yourself." Zack wiped the sweat on his jaw with the back of his hand. He took a drink from his water bottle.

"Show-offs," Elena whispered. To this, Tifa giggled. "Have you seen, Reno?"

Tifa shook her head with an awkward smile on her face. "No, my Princess. He must be out with Rude."

Elensa sighed. Reno seemed to be avoiding her. She had gotten used to Reno escorting her anywhere she goes, but it was Tifa who had been doing it lately.

_Idiot. You told me you'd be back to your old self. Were those empty words?_ Elene felt like crying. It wasn't like this before. Everything changed when her Father announced her engagement to one of the Princes to end the war.

Of course she had accepted. She had believed it to be her duty and a privilege to take part in ending the war. But now, she wasn't so sure it was a good idea.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around, and was greeted with a glass of parfait-her favorite. Only one person knew of it-Reno.

"You know," Reno said, "It's pretty hot here." He had his goofy smile again.

Elena smiled, but a teardrop escaped. "I think I need to rest."

Tifa was about to take Elena's hand, but Reno beat her to it.

"I'll take her to her room, Tifa. Stay here, spar with the Prince if you feel like it." Reno helped the Princess up and escorted her to her quarters.

Tifa watched them leave with a sad expression. She knew that Elena wanted to cry. That was why she was retreating to her room.

"Tifa!" Tseng called to his sister.

"Yeah?"

"Come up here."

Tifa was hesitant, but she did as she was told. When she got to the arena, Tseng was telling Zack how great a martial artist she had become.

"Really?" Zack said. "I'd like to see how good she is then."

"Sounds like a challenge," Tifa remarked. "Can I?" She needed Tseng's permission.

"I didn't call you up here for nothing." Tseng smiled then patted his sister in the shoulder. "Have fun."

Tifa chuckled. She reached for her gloves that he had in her back pocket and put them on.

"I guess black's hip in Nibelheim," Zack commented.

Tifa laughed. "You have no idea." She went to her fighting stance.

Zack shrugged and went to position as well. "This'll be good."

Zack and Tifa lunged at each other at the same time. They were face to face with their arms against each other.

"You're strong for a woman," Zack commented.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere." Tifa tried to backhand Zack, to which the Prince dodged.

They jumped apart. Tifa's eyes were narrowed. Zack didn't look like he was trying. "If I win, you'd have to go out with me on a date."

Tifa was stunned. Zack chuckled then ran to her. Tifa snapped out of her shock and blocked Zack's punch.

"Cheater," she accused.

"Don't get distracted," Zack shot back.

Tifa's mouth twitched. She then went on to letting out a series of strikes aimed at Zack's torso.

Zack easily evaded every one of Tifa's attempts. He waited for the perfect time and caught her hand. With a twist, he got her arm locked behind her back.

Tifa used her other arm and elbowed him in the side. Zack side-stepped, but lost grip on Tifa's arm in the process. The woman broke free and followed up with a roundhouse kick.

Zack winced as Tifa's boot connected with his abdomen. In return, he gripped the woman's foot and twisted it, sending Tifa twisting in the air as well.

Tifa landed in a half-crouch. Zack send her flipping backwards as he kicked her. The Prince used his leg muscles to jump and catch Tifa in his arms.

"Got ya," he said with a chuckle.

Tifa was startled. Zack was too close to her. She forgot to move for a while. Her heart was racing. Damn, she hoped Zack wouldn't notice it.

Zack was able to pin Tifa down. Try as she might, she couldn't get the Prince off of her.

"Wow, you're heavy," Tifa said.

"All muscle." Zack bent lower to whisper in Tifa's ear. "Get ready in 20 minutes. We have a date."

With that, Zack stood up and casually helped Tifa back on her feet. He winked at her before he walked away.

Tifa blinked repeatedly. She couldn't believe that Zack was serious about the date. Oh who was she kidding? She couldn't possibly deny the fact that her heart was pounding against her chest.

_This is not good._

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"I can't believe you managed to make Genesis agree," Aerith said as she got off of Cloud's bike. When she had returned to the Church, Genesis bid her goodbye then left. She was expecting him to attempt to change her mind again, but it seems that the Prince managed to convince him to let her take care of the flowers.

"We… talked it over," Cloud murmured. "I promised him I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Aerith smiled warmly. "Thank you, Prince Cloud." She looked around them. "Where are we?"

Cloud got off of his bike then took Aerith's hand. "There's… someone I'd like you to meet."

Aerith nodded and walked with Cloud. That was the second time he'd said that. She had been meaning to go home after Genesis left but Cloud said he had permission to take Aerith to a place where he wanted her to meet someone special.

Cloud led Aerith to a place filled with flowers. She was surprised to find another place filled with them. She had thought flowers to be very rare. They were walking down a paved pathway, and at the end, Aerith could see two figures standing next to each other.

Cloud wondered who would visit this place other than him. The only ones who would come here were his family.

_It can't be Zack, can it?_

"Cloud, why are we here?" Aerith asked again.

"This," Cloud replied, "is where my Mother was buried."

Aerith's gasp was audible. Cloud had brought her to the place where their Mother was resting in peace.

_I want you to meet someone special_, Cloud had said a while ago. She should've known it would be his Mother.

Cloud held Aerith's hand tighter. As they neared his Mother's grave, Zack's figure became clearer-he was with one of the Princess's guards, Tifa.

Tifa laid the flowers Zack had bought earlier on the grave then she sent up a silent prayer.

"Zack," Cloud called to his brother.

Tifa and Zack spun around and were surprised to see Cloud. Zack greeted them both with a nod and Tifa smiled.

"Aerith," Cloud pulled her forward, "meet Tifa, she's from Nibelheim."

Aerith smiled at the black-haired woman. "I'm Aerith Gainsborough," she said as she reached out her hand.

"I'm Tifa Lockhart," she replied. "Prince Zack asked me to a-accompany him." She was feeling nervous. She couldn't actually tell the Prince that Zack had invited her out.

"Zack, does this mean-?"

Zack cut off his brother's question with a nod. He had asked Tifa out on a date, but was unsure where they should go. He decided to take Tifa to their Mother's grave for a start, and to ask his Mother for guidance regarding the engagement.

"We were about to leave, actually," Zack said. He took Tifa's hands and pulled her with him. "Cloud, take care of Aerith."

Cloud nodded. He had a feeling Zack had the same suspicion he already has about Aerith. Then he remembered something.

"Zack, did it happen?"

Zack chuckled. "Yeah, it did." He waved goodbye as he led Tifa away.

Cloud smiled as he watched his brother leave with Tifa. Zack had gotten what he came here for; he wished he could get it too.

"What were you talking about?" Aerith asked.

"Come," Cloud led Aerith closer to the grave. "Mother, this is Aerith."

Aerith smiled and bent down. She wiped away some of the dust in the gravestone. She wasn't sure of what to say. "It's an honor to be here," she whispered.

Cloud closed his eyes as the wind blew around them. He felt a soft caress on his face. He knew what it had meant. His Mother was with him.

"You know," Cloud said, his eyes still closed, "My brother and I once said that if we ever find the woman we think our Mother would approve of, we'd bring them here."

Aerith looked back at Cloud. He had thought of her worthy enough for their Mother to approve of. "Then, Prince Zack thinks Tifa-?"

"Yes, just as I think Mother would approve of you."

Aerith slowly stood up. As much as she was flattered with Cloud's statement, she didn't believe herself to be worthy. "Why me?"

Cloud smiled a bit. "I'll tell you when I figure it out."

Aerith laughed. "Silly. So, how do you know if the late Queen approves?"

Cloud felt something warm on his arm, almost as warm as he remembered his Mother's touch was. Now he was sure, he had their Mother's blessing.

"I just know." Cloud smiled. "And, I think she would've loved to meet you."

Aerith smiled then turned back to look at the grave. "Thank you," she whispered.

_I'll take care of him for you._

* * *

cLerith raven:

I'm finally done with chapter 6! Can you imagine how hard it is to think of how Zack will win against Tifa? The man's better with a sword if you ask me. :))

Well, as usual, hope you like it! Please tell me if this chapter sucks. I did the last part half-asleep. Haha!

I'd be glad to read your opinions and reviews! :D


	8. Chapter 7: The Cetra Is Found

cLerith raven:

I'd like to thank those who read Meant To Be even though I've left this hanging for two years. I'm just happy that it still has reviews. Please bear with me. I wasn't able to update earlier than I originally planned. And I may be on hiatus soon. I wish I could finish with all the chapters before I do.

* * *

**Meant To Be**

Chapter 7: The Cetra Is Found

The doors to a secret underground laboratory opened wide as a gray-haired man in a lab coat entered. He was muttering words under his breath, words that only he could understand. His eyes were rapidly shifting, speculating theories as if they were written in front of him.

The man stopped when he reached the end of the laboratory, in front of a cylinder tube that was filled with a black liquid-a _special_ black liquid. This was his own special formulation-his masterpiece. This was where he would keep her. Yes, this was where her body will lie, safe from the eyes of outsiders, forever giving them what they need for their plans.

They only needed one thing. She was the missing piece to his puzzle. The Cetra Princess. How he dreamt of taking the pleasure of watching her writhe in agony as she was continuously drained of her energy and powers, only to be given more and taken more over and over again.

For years he had tried to harness the powers of the Cetra. They had used those they had captured over the course of the past war. All those experiments failed however. They did manage to find some sort of success with their last subject. But she had killed herself before they even had the time to confirm their success.

He laughed maniacally as he thought of it. He was a genius, a genius! No one has ever made this much progress. Those fools, calling themselves scientists, professors-what idiots! They were cowards-scared of the numerous possibilities they could have achieved. He would laugh at them, as they had when he proposed his theory.

"Hojo, you've done it," he exclaimed. "You have surpassed everything that has been done before you. Everything!"

His thoughts were disturbed when another figure entered the laboratory. He knew the person all too well-his Master.

"Good evening," he greeted as he bowed. "What brings you here, Master Sephiroth? It's past midnight."

"Hojo," Sephiroth said. His voice was low and menacing, different from what he sounded like earlier. He was elated to be himself now. He was getting tired of pretending to be the good brother Rufus believed him to be.

"Yes, Master?"

"What of the Cetra," Sephiroth asked. "Have you gotten any progress?"

"Ah, the Cetra Princess," Hojo said as he turned around. "I'm sorry, but no further progress has been reported."

Sephiroth let out an exasperated sigh. They had been searching for years for that damned Princess. But nothing ever turned up. Whenever a lead appeared, it would lead them to a dead end. He had no choice. His own search had been failing. He had to ask for his brother's help. His army could continue the search. While his brother's pathetic excuse for SOLDIERs exhaust their selves in their search, his own army could focus on training.

Ah yes, that was what he would do. When Rufus's SOLDIERs are weary of the search, his own private army could defeat them easily enough. Sephiroth will have the Kingdom of Midgar under his rule in no time at all. It was the perfect time. If Rufus does not succeed in his attempts to find the last Cetra, Sephiroth would just have to continue it after he has taken the throne.

"Never mind, Hojo." He waved a dismissing hand at the scientist. "All that matters now is that we prepare our men."

"Ah, yes, of course. I have been preparing a special… energizer, you might call it." The scientist pulled out a test tube from his rack on the desk. It contained a yellow liquid, obviously something that was meant to be drunk. "This enhances any man's abilities a near to a hundredfold."

Sephiroth grinned. He liked the idea. He knew Hojo; the man would not be so confident if he wasn't sure that it would work. Years of servitude has proved him competent. Speculating, he took the test tube from the scientist's hands and examined it.

"Are there any side effects?" He kept turning the test tube side-to-side.

"None," Hojo replied. "There is a minor setback though," he added. When Sephiroth didn't answer, he continued, "It wears off in 24 hours. Our mean would have to take it constantly every day."

"They cannot be allowed to carry vials of this wherever they go, Hojo." Sephiroth put the test tube back in the rack. "Think of an alternative."

"Well, yes, I have thought about it. I've decided to make it a drug-turn it into tablets to take every day. It would be more portable that way, and easier to ingest. Don't you think so, Master?" Hojo had a sly grin on his face. He knew that Sephiroth couldn't disagree.

"Very well, do it. Have them ready in 7 days time." Sephiroth didn't look back at Hojo as he walked away and left the laboratory.

Hojo looked back at the cylinder tube. In a few more days, it wouldn't be empty anymore.

_I'll soon have what I deserve!_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Cloud paced back and forth as he thought of what his Father was up to. He and his brother were called yet again in the War Room. For what purpose, he didn't know.

The most intriguing part was that most of the SOLDIERS were being prepared for another task. It must be connected with the search their Father was planning. The search for the Cetra Princess would start soon.

Cloud didn't know why, but he felt agitated with that knowledge. He had this feeling that he couldn't quite pin down, but he knew one thing-it wasn't a good feeling.

"Cloud, quit pacing already!"

Cloud's head snapped in his brother's direction and gave him a glare. Zack raised his hands up in surrender.

The doors burst open as Vincent and Rufus strode in. Along with them was an old face both of them knew well.

Zack's face instantly lightened up as he saw his old friend and mentor. "Angeal!"

Angeal's features were stern, professional, and ready at any time for any kind of battle. He had been Zack's father figure, as well as Cloud's, back when they were still in training. He had helped them through each mission, and was even their Platoon Leader.

After Cloud and Zack reached SOLDIER 1st Class, Angeal had been promoted to a General. They never saw him or heard from him ever since.

Angeal inclined his head then gave a stiff smile, ever the same. "You still look like you did before your promotion," he turned to Cloud, "He still as cheerful as ever?"

"Nothing changed with him." Cloud looked at Zack and sighed. "He's still cocky too," he added.

Angeal waited for the doors to close before he laughed out loud. "I don't expect him to change that. Zack wouldn't be Zack without it."

Zack shrugged his shoulders. "At least I'm not like someone who could make men piss their pants with just a look. Man, do you know how hard it was for others to clean up after the poor guys?"

Cloud stifled a chuckle as he remembered. It was their last mission before they had been promoted. Angeal had warned them all not to make a single mistake. He looked fierce as he eyed each of the SOLDIERS in his platoon that three of the other SOLDIERS had wet themselves in fear.

"I think they still have shingles whenever they hear your name." Zack stood up and went to Angeal.

"They'd better. They will answer to me once the search begins."

Angeal pulled Zack in a man-hug. He motioned for Cloud to come to him as well. Cloud did so, although reluctantly. Whenever Angeal did that, he would feel like the teenage kid he used to be who would run to Angeal just because he was curious.

"You guys are almost as tall as I am." Angeal messed up both their hairs.

Rufus watched the trio with a smile. He really did make the right decision. It was Angeal who had always been there for his sons, as the reports have said. He was sure Angeal would still be the same for the two now.

Vincent cleared his throat to gain the trio's attention. "We have a serious matter to discuss. Soon, the rest of Great Three would be here."

"The rest?" Zack and Cloud looked at each other, and with a sudden realization, both looked to Angeal.

"You're a General now?"

Angeal shrugged as if the fact was not a big deal, even if it was. The Army only has three Generals as a rule. They were SOLDIER 1st Class who had been able to pass certain tests and requirements. Cloud and Zack had wanted to become Generals, but their roles as Princes prevented them from doing so.

"I replaced one of the late Generals, General Dyne," Angeal informed them. "It was why I had to leave for a long time."

Zack whistled. "Hot damn. Never thought you were cut out for it."

Angeal sneered. "I could say the same to you."

"I gave up on that," Zack said with a laugh. "Seriously, succeeding in a hundred missions with no casualty is impossible for me. I mean, who made such a ridiculous requirement anyway?"

Rufus cleared his throat. "That would be me, Zack."

Cloud stifled another chuckle. Zack shot his brother a glare.

"What happened to General Diggs?" Zack had heard of the name before when Angeal was lecturing them about the Generals. It was at that time that he aspired to be a General when he was stronger.

It was Vincent who answered the question.

"Deceased. He went MIA the day that General Dyne had died. His body was found just months ago. DNA scans confirmed his identity."

"The only one left of the original Great Three is a man named Barret then." Cloud looked at Vincent and asked, "Where is he?"

"Retired. Currently, he is fetching his replacement. He came highly recommended by Barret himself. We've also checked his records and he passed all tests and requirements."

"Who is he?"

"Genesis Gainsborough."

Cloud went rigid. _Genesis?_

Zack noticed that Cloud had stiffened at the news. He must have recognized the name.

"Then who is the last of the Generals? Who is replacing General Diggs?"

"I am."

Zack, Cloud and Angeal turned around to look at the newcomer who was the new General.

_Sephiroth…_

Cloud didn't know why, but he had the sinking feeling that it wasn't a good idea for their uncle to be a General. In his head, he saw the image of Sephiroth surrounded by flames.

_God, I hope that was not a premonition…_

Somehow, it felt like it was.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

A loud pounding on the door startled Aerith as she was tying Marlene's hair. The girl had requested that Aerith braid her hair the same way she does it. Nanaki lay at their feet, looking contented as he lay asleep.

"I'll get it," Genesis called out as he lied on the couch beside the girls. He stood up and walked slowly to answer the door as the loud knocking continued.

"Damn, would you wait?"

Genesis's eyes were wide with shock when he realized who was standing before him. It was a black man he knew all too well. He would never be able to forget the man who had sacrificed his arm in order to save his life.

"General Barret," he said breathlessly.

"Daddy?" Marlene lept up from the couch and immediately ran towards her adoptive father.

Barret had been the one who comforted her when she learned about her father's death. He had helped them throughout the year when both she and her mother had been grieving for their loss. And he kindly offered to be her 'second' father.

"Gainsborough," Barret said, "You are being reassigned." He handed Genesis a letter. "Read it."

Barret's mood seemed to lighten when he saw Marlene approach them. Genesis stood to the side as Marlene ran to Barret and hugged him.

"You're home!" Marlene exclaimed. "Everyone's been coming home now. Is the war over? Do we get to keep you now?"

Barret laughed softly. "Yes, I'm back for good baby."

Genesis stopped himself from laughing. He wasn't used to hearing their General sound so endearing, especially after years of battling with him.

Aerith smiled as she watched. She could see that Marlene had missed Barret. She couldn't blame her.

"Welcome home, General," Aerith greeted the man.

Barret nodded his head. "I'm not a General anymore though." He stood up and looked at Genesis. "I'm retiring, and you're my replacement."

Aerith stepped back, her eyes wide with shock. She was thankful Nanaki was there to steady her. She buried her hands in his fur as she thought about the news.

Genesis had a perplexed look on his face. When Barret motioned for him to open the letter, he did so. There, in black ink, was written that he was being promoted to General status as he came highly recommended by Barret himself.

"You told them about me?" Genesis asked, surprised at the knowledge.

"You're a good SOLDIER. You're very skilled. I think you're even better than I was when I was your age."

"Can't it be another?" Aerith asked.

Both men looked at her. Aerith knew there was no other way. Her brother was now a General, and he would be in even more dangerous assignments.

"Aerith," Genesis took his sister's hands. "It's all right. You know I've always wanted this."

Aerith sighed in defeat. "Mom is going to be heartbroken."

"I know, Princess."

"Genesis, you have to report to the King immediately. You'll be getting your new assignment from the King himself." Barret held Marlene's hand as he entered the house.

Genesis nodded. He went to get his overcoat from the couch and wore it before he flashed a smile to Aerith.

"I'm afraid the task of breaking our Mother's heart is left to you, princess."

Aerith glared at Genesis. "I hate you."

Genesis chuckled then took Aerith in his arms. "Good luck, sis," he said as he kissed her forehead. He nodded to Barret before he started on his way.

"Genesis," Barret called out to him. "You forgot this!" Barret threw something shiny in the air towards Genesis.

Genesis caught it in one hand and examined it. It was a General's badge-a black wing. This was one of the General badges. The other two were silver and white. It was a special kind; a badge that enables the bearer to grow a single wing, depending on the badge's, color which shows their status in the Army.

_I'm a General now…_

Aerith watched with a heavy heart as Genesis revved his bike and sped away. She grasped Nanaki's fur like a lifeline. She felt bad about the task her brother had left to her.

_I only hope Mother won't faint._

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Cloud was silent as he listened to the men in the room talk. They have been discussing about the search parties they would be forming for the Cetra Princess.

Genesis had joined them an hour ago. Rufus had been surprised that Cloud knew Genesis. When he asked his son why, Cloud refused to answer. Genesis looked relieved, but Rufus thought it was just his imagination.

"Father, have you ever considered that the Princess is not alive?" Cloud asked.

Everyone in the room looked at Cloud in unison. He had been silent ever since their meeting had started.

"I hope not. She is the only chance I've got to atone for my sins, Son." Rufus's voice held that sad note it always has whenever he talked about their Mother.

"Even if we find her, we can't be sure that she would accept our help. How could we be sure that she doesn't hold a grudge against us?"

"If she is anything like her mother, Ifalna, she would be as kind as she was."

That had sounded simple. But Cloud didn't think it was. Years of being orphaned and hunted, and being in hiding can do a lot of damage to a little girl, especially one who has been alone all her life.

Zack gave Cloud the shut-the-hell-up look. They should not be torturing their Father with regret and guilt. He has suffered enough in all the years that have passed. Zack would know, he had witnessed it all.

"Princes, we now ask for your permission to let us conduct tests," Sephiroth said. "A clear image of the Princess herself would let us know what we should look for exactly."

Zack shook his head. He wasn't going to let them see into his past. Never.

Rufus sighed. "Let us continue with the task at hand for the moment. Vincent, the assignments.

Vincent nodded then pulled out three folders. He handed Angeal, Sephiroth and Genesis one folder each.

Vincent spoke clearly as he told them their instructions. "Those files contain everything that you may need in your search. We start with the Midgar Empire. Scour every city there is, especially those nearest Kalm."

Genesis opened his folder and went ramrod still. He couldn't believe his assignment.

"I am to search here in Edge, Midgar's capital itself?"

"Yes, Genesis. Being the last to ascend to General status, we thought best that you start here then go farther. Is there a problem with that?"

Genesis thought it wise that he agree. After all, it would enable him to hide Aerith from the rest. If either Sephiroth or Angeal were assigned to Edge, they might find out about Aerith. This was the best opportunity they could get to protect her. No matter what the King had said, they can never be sure about Aerith's safety.

Cloud could see Genesis's agitation. But it disappeared after the General shook his head. His distress had been replaced with resolution. The meeting went on as the Great Three split into divisions. They had divided the Empire in Sectors as well to better delegate their search spots.

Cloud just listened to them in silence. He saw that Zack had fallen silent as well. Cloud shifted in his seat, noticing that his brother was paying attention to his expression.

_This is gonna be a long meeting…_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Once the meeting had been adjourned, Genesis immediately stepped out of the War Room. He was headed towards the Palace Doors when someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him into a dark corner.

His senses alert, he immediately drew his sword. His blade came contact with other one, a broadsword by the force it had.

"Who are you?"

"I have to know something."

Genesis froze. He knew that voice.

"Prince Cloud, what the hell are you doing?" He shoved at him, his anger mounting.

"Aerith is the Cetra Princess, isn't she?" Cloud finally managed to voice out his concern. Ever since he had read of the Princess's description, he couldn't get Aerith's image out of his mind.

Genesis stiffened. He wasn't expecting Cloud to even have an idea. This was what he was afraid of. Aerith's identity would be revealed in no time at all since the Prince was concerned.

"Answer me, dammit!"

Genesis turned to leave, but the blonde leveled the sword at his throat.

The SOLDIER in Genesis lashed out. But he had to keep himself from wounding the Prince.

"I ask this, Genesis, because I want to protect her." Cloud's voice was full of conviction.

Genesis turned to look at the Prince. He wanted to see the sincerity of his words. His eyes were searching, yet pleading as well. Those blue orbs didn't hold a single note of hesitation. At that moment, Genesis knew that Cloud would indeed protect Aerith as he had done.

_Maybe even more…_

Decided, Genesis nodded. "Yes, she is the last of the Cetra, their Princess."

Cloud staggered. He couldn't believe it. Genesis's confirmation of his suspicion had taken him aback.

_You asked for this._

"How did she survive all these years?" Cloud silently prayed that Aerith's childhood had been a good one, that fate had been kind to her.

"This is not the place to discuss these things, Prince Cloud."

"Agreed. My room would suffice."

Cloud led the way to his room with Genesis following behind. Their steps were slow and soft, not wanting anyone else to take notice in them. Cloud was thankful that his brother had decided to go out for a ride. Though he wondered why he had sent for Tifa as well. Would he ask the woman to ride with him?

_That's not what you should be worrying about. Aerith's safety comes first._

And he would protect her with everything he had.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Aerith looked bright as she entered the late Queen Scarlet's Garden. It was a beautiful place, even more beautiful than what she had imagined. The garden was settled near the stables, at the back of Palace.

A gazebo was nestled at the middle of the garden, surrounded by different kinds of flowers. And beneath it, a small river flowed to a pond underneath a lush tree. It was the most breathtaking place she had ever been in.

It was almost sunset, and the scenery was even more beautiful with the orange glow from the sun.

Aerith rushed towards the flowers as Nanaki stayed behind, guarding the door. She couldn't help herself. He inner child wanted to get out and dance around the place.

"Such lovely flowers," Aerith commented as she smelled them. They fragrance were sweet, almost addicting.

Aerith began to sing her lullaby as she tended to the flowers surrounding her. She kept laughing to herself, giggling at the way the flowers seemed to cherish her touch. The wind blew around her, almost like a soft caress. She was enjoying herself so much that she was oblivious to the person who was watching her.

Rufus jaw dropped as he saw the one person he thought he would never see again in his life.

_Ifalna?_

He shook his head, unbelieving. Ifalna was dead, she couldn't be here. His mind must be playing tricks on him.

_It's her…_

Rufus unconsciously stepped towards his wife's garden. He wanted to get a closer look. Surely it wasn't Ifalna. But she looked so much like his old friend. So much that the woman could be her daughter.

_It can't be… All this time…_

They had been searching for the Princess for years and years. Could fate be that kind to just hand her to him, especially now that he was desperate?

When Rufus was a few feet away from the woman, he noticed how she resembled Ifalna. What struck him most were her eyes. They were the same shade of green that Ifalna had. It reminded him of the lifeless green orbs he had seen that tragic night which haunted his every dream.

This was not Ifalna. This was her daughter. Finally, he could make amends. But, why was she here? Did she come knowing about his sorrow and guilt?

Wanting to get an answer, he reached out to touch the lady in front of him.

To Rufus's horror, the woman screamed out loud.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Genesis sighed as he finished telling Cloud about how Elmyra had found Aerith and raised her as her daughter. He told the Prince how Aerith had lived her life, despite knowing everything about her past.

Cloud was amazed at how Aerith had lived her life that way. She knew that she was only adopted, an orphan, and the last of her people. It awed him that she was strong enough to withstand those years of knowing that everything was taken away from her. It made him admire her more that she had a stoic and cheerful disposition, when he expected her to be bitter and angry.

"That girl has such a good heart."

Cloud saw the love in Genesis's eyes as he said that. And he couldn't agree more. Then, he realized something.

"Genesis, I must tell my Father."

Genesis scowled. "Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

"This would free them both, Genesis. They've both suffered enough from the mistakes of the past. It's time that they both let go."

"You've seen how Aerith is now, but you think she's suffering?" Genesis couldn't believe what the Prince was saying. He couldn't fathom thinking of Aerith being unhappy or at worse, miserable.

"Think about it Genesis. For a little girl to experience all of that, I'm surprised she could even laugh right now but she does. She has grown into a strong woman, but even the strong have to cry sometimes. And I know for a fact that she hasn't cried ever since from your story. Who knows how much sorrow she has bottled up inside of her? Sooner or later, she'd breakdown and I want to be there for her if she ever does. Don't you?"

Cloud put all the conviction he had into his words. He seemed to have reach Genesis, as the man was now deep in thought. He only hoped Genesis would understand what he was saying. And he hoped Genesis would agree with what he was about to ask of him.

"Genesis, please show Aerith to my Father," he pleaded.

"I don't think I can do that Cloud. If what you said was true, then wouldn't it hurt Aerith more?" Genesis swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I promise you no harm would come to Aerith. I know my Father, and he is nothing like my Grandfather." Cloud balled his hand into fists at the memory of the old King.

Images of Aerith as a child, running away and always hiding played in his mind. She must have been so scared and sad, especially with her being hunted by the Empire. How could their Grandfather have been so cruel?

"Prince Cloud, you do know that is too much to ask of me. Aerith is my _sister_."

"I know."

Genesis sighed. He knew Cloud was right. His sister has suffered too much. This was Aerith's chance to finally be able to be free from hiding ever again.

"All right," he agreed, "But should anything be done to hurt my sister, I swear to you, Prince Cloud-"

"I swear to you, Genesis. Aerith is not be harmed."

Cloud held out his hand. Genesis took it, and out his hand on the Prince's shoulder.

A scream sounded on the hall that seemed to have come from the garden. Both of them knew that voice, and they didn't waste any time.

"Aerith!"

Cloud bolted for the door, rushing towards the garden. His heart was racing. He wasn't expecting Aerith to be anywhere near the Palace, let alone in it. He had just promised that he wouldn't let anything harm her. How could he have failed?

_Please don't be hurt._

Cloud couldn't bear the thought of Aerith wounded or bruised. This would be his fault.

When they neared the garden, Cloud instantly saw a woman's figure standing near the gazebo. He was sure that it was Aerith. And a few feet away from him stood his Father.

_What is Father doing?_

Cloud ran to them both, but was greeted by a fierce snarl from a furry creature. From its stance, it was ready to pounce on Rufus, obviously there to protect Aerith. It must be her pet, Nanaki.

"Prince Cloud," Aerith said, "Genesis!"

"Father, what's happening here?" Cloud went to his Father's side. "Aerith, are you all right?"

Genesis stood beside Aerith and put his arms over her shoulder. Aerith nodded to Cloud as she lay her head on her brother's chest.

"Your Father startled me, that's all," she said calmly. She let out a sigh of relief.

For a moment, Aerith thought that she would be chained and locked up in a dungeon. She had recognized the King. It was the face that she last saw before her Mother had taken her away that awful night.

In truth, she had expected the man to strike her where she had stood. But when she saw his eyes, her fear had vanished. They were not the eyes of a cruel man, but were of a sad one. She could see other kinds of emotions through his eyes, but they were not as powerful as what she sensed in his aura.

Rufus was a man filled with sorrow, guilt and regret. She could feel it emanate from him with great intensity. He must have been holding those emotions for a long time. But Aerith also noted the hatred she detected. But, it wasn't directed at her. He hated himself. For what, Aerith didn't know.

"You look so much like Ifalna," Rufus whispered. His voice was full of hurt. "Aerith is it?" He recalled the name Cloud had called her earlier. "Aerith, I've finally found you."

Aerith stepped back, surprised. She couldn't deny her resemblance to her Mother. It was what she was always thankful for. It was what her Father had always told her to be proud of. She could still remember how much her Father had said that she looked so much like her Mother that he was blessed to have her as a daughter. She couldn't deny that and stain the memory.

This was the reason why she never went anywhere near the King. She had hoped that she wouldn't be able to meet him, but she knew that it was also foolish.

Genesis immediately put Aerith behind him. Obviously, he was ready to attack if need be.

Rufus took the warning and inclined his head. "Genesis, I mean her no harm."

Cloud put a hand on his Father's shoulder. "Father, maybe we should let them be."

"No, it's quite all right," Aerith said. "My brother and I should be leaving now anyways."

Aerith tugged at the sleeves of Genesis's coat. Genesis turned his head to her and nodded.

"Aerith, may I speak with you?"

Aerith wanted to say no, but deep inside her, she had wanted this. She had wanted to speak to the King. She nodded.

"It's all right, Genesis," Aerith whispered to her brother.

Genesis wanted to argue, but Cloud's words echoed in his mind. His heart heavy, he let go of Aerith and started to walk away with Nanaki following behind. He would not be far; he would stay near enough to come to her if the need arises.

Cloud walked to Aerith. He wanted to make sure that she would be all right.

"You don't have to if you don't really want to."

Aerith shook her head. "It's all right." She touched Cloud's arm. "We'll just talk." She smiled.

Cloud's heart lurched as he saw Aerith smile. He would have felt relieved by it, but he saw the sadness in her eyes. How could he have been so blind? He should have noticed her sadness before.

"I'll be near."

"Mm-hmm."

Cloud faced his Father and nodded before he left the two alone. They had a lot to talk about. This was their chance.

Aerith was about to say something when Rufus did the most unimaginable thing-he kneeled before her.

"I have a lot to atone for, Aerith. If I had only been stronger, braver, I could have prevented that tragedy that befell your people," Rufus said. "Let me make things right. Allow me to make it up to you. I can't bear the thought of failing Ifalna once more."

Aerith wanted to cry, but she kept her tears at bay. She would weep for her people and her family, but this was not the time for it.

The man who was kneeling in front of her was suffering, same as she was, and maybe a lot more. All those years of being the last of her people had been kind to her. She had been blessed with another family, the Gainsboroughs. They had protected her and made sure she was never in harm's way. She would always have the comfort of knowing that she had a family to keep her safe. And they would always lift her spirits up with their kindness and laughter that she didn't have a moment of sadness.

Even if Ifalna and Gast were not with her anymore, she was thankful that she had lived. She was the most important thing to her parents, and her survival was everything her parents would have wanted. So she did her best to stay alive.

But this man had been suffering without pause. She suspected that he had been continuously searching for her as she was the last of her kind. He must have been carrying the sorrow he had all those years. But to have so much pent up sadness, he must have carried it alone. No one saw it, no one sensed it.

"I never hated you," Aerith said.

Rufus looked up at her, amazed by what she had said. How could she not hate him? It was his Father that had purged her entire race, drove her into hiding, and most of all, left her to live as the only survivor.

Aerith smiled warmly at the man. She didn't want anyone to suffer.

"It wasn't your fault. It's not your sin to atone for. You are not your Father, King Rufus." She had said it in a gentle tone, hoping to ease some of his suffering.

"But I failed your Mother. I had promised her that I would be able to keep you all safe."

Aerith sighed. "It's all in the past now. I'm sure Mother would not be happy to see you like this. You were a very dear friend."

Aerith helped the man up. "Please, for my Mother's memory, don't blame yourself."

Rufus nodded. She was every bit as kind as Ifalna had been. He made a light heh sound.

"Ifalna would have scowled at me if she ever saw me like this, wouldn't she?"

Aerith giggled. "Yes, she would have."

Rufus took both of Aerith's hands in his own. "I want to make it up to you Aerith. Please, accept my offer to live here in the Palace. I want you to live the life that you so deserve. A life as a Princess."

"I would have to ask my mother, Elmyra, about it. She was the one who raised me. I know that it would break her heart if I left."

"Then take your family with you. I want to thank them as well for keeping you safe." Rufus let go of Aerith's hands.

"I will think about it, Your Majesty."

"Then I bid you farewell. I hope that your response would be positive." Rufus bowed before he turned around and walked away.

Aerith let out a sigh as she looked up. She wondered if her Mother would hear her now.

"Mom, I did the right thing, didn't I?"

As if answering her question, the wind caressed her face. She thought she heard voices calling to her with the wind. She smiled as she closed her eyes.

"Aerith?"

Aerith opened her eyes and saw Cloud standing in front of her, his eyes seemed sad. She smiled at him.

"How long have you known about me?"

"Just yesterday when we had our meeting. Father wanted Zack and I to cooperate for the search." Cloud went on to relay what they have spoken about during their meeting. "I didn't know it was you at first, but Genesis confirmed it for me."

"I'm sorry I had to keep it from you."

"You had every right to. You were protecting yourself."

Aerith turned around and gazed around her. "It's beautiful here. Your Mother's flowers are lovely."

"They're the only thing we have left of our Mother. My Father said that her flowers were her guilty pleasures."

"You must miss her." Aerith looked at Cloud. She bent her head as she saw him looking up.

"All the time." Cloud's lip twitched. He looked at her. "Do you miss your Mother?"

Cloud saw sadness flicker in Aerith's expression, but she quickly replaced it with a slow smile.

"All the time."

Cloud kicked himself mentally.

_Damn. You shouldn't have asked that._

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"About my question," he replied. He sighed before saying what he's wanted to say.

"Aerith, if you want to cry, go ahead." Cloud turned away. "I hate it when you sad. I don't know why. I just do."

Aerith was touched by Cloud's words and his actions. She felt her eyes water. She had buried a strong emotion long ago that she had forgotten about it. But now, that emotion threatened to choke her.

She had always been strong for her family. She didn't want them to worry over her, especially because she was adopted. She didn't want to be a burden to her, like how she had been a burden to her nurse-maid. Slowly, the doors she had kept locked for years opened up to reveal the memories she had ignored.

Aerith could still remember how much her nurse-maid had attended to her ever since they had run away from their Kingdom. She remembered how sweet her voice was as she sung her to sleep. How loud her laughter was when they played. And how tender her embrace had been when she held her.

She remembered the year that they had shared in Kalm. Her nurse-maid had stayed the same, but she had always been guarded. She never wanted Aerith to play outside without her. And at night, she would bolt down every door and window that they had.

Aerith had gotten used to the silence in their home every night that it had surprised her when she heard noises outside. She had gone to the window to check it, but her nurse-maid grabbed her and started running.

She was a foolish kid who cried over a doll that was given to her by her Mother. The SOLDIERs had heard her and started shooting at them as they ran. Aerith had never been that scared in her life.

She could still see how much pain the woman had been in as she strived to move even as she bled. Thankfully, Elmyra took them in. But what haunted Aerith most was how scared the woman had been.

She remembered the fear the woman had in her eyes as she held her that night she died. Now, she understood why. The woman was afraid of leaving Aerith. The love her nurse-maid had for her even though she wasn't her own blood was overwhelming.

With a gasp, Aerith finally let go of the tears she had been trying hard not to shed. Feeling weak, she knelt as her emotions became too much to bear.

Cloud felt like his heart was being torn apart as he heard Aerith's cries. He had wanted to let Aerith have some privacy when she cried, but concern for her overrode his desire to provide her that privacy.

Cloud was holding Aerith in an instant. He had his arms wrapped around Aerith who was still crying. He tried rubbing Aerith's back, imitating what his Mother had done for him when he was a kid.

Aerith's cries soften as she felt Cloud's embrace. She hadn't realized how much grief she had been holding inside her heart until now.

"Ssh." Cloud tried his best to soothe Aerith. "Your family will always be there for you. I'm here for you."

Aerith was grateful for Cloud's presence. He had been the one to finally help her let go of all of the sadness she ever had.

_Thank __you, __Cloud_.

* * *

cLerith raven:

I'm finally done with this chapter!

I'm so sorry it took this long. I've been busy with so many things. I hope I do manage to update more often.

Thank you for reading!


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